The New Girl
by foolishmundanes
Summary: Modern-day AU: Will Herondale didn't think he would care for the new girl at school. R&R, please :)
1. Chapter 1

William Herondale didn't know what to expect when he first laid eyes on Tessa Gray.

She was the new student at the Institute. Will was hoping that someone as pretty as her wouldn't be a slut like the rest of the girls here at this school. Take Jessamine Lovelace, for example.

Cecily Herondale stood as his side as everyone's eyes gazed upon the new girl. She was shy; anyone could see that as she kept to herself, her eyes pointed directly at the floor to avoid everyone's stares. Cecily tugged on his wrist and nodded her head towards said new girl. Will shook his head. Every time there was a new student at their school, Cecily was eager to meet them. However, she didn't like doing it alone so she made her older brother go with her.

"Cecy, no—not again…" Will protested, trying to get her tight grip on his wrist to loosen. Cecily let go and put her hands on her side, giving him a pointed look that read, 'come on…' "No," he said, his voice final. "You've made me go with you before. Not anymore. Grow up, Cecy."

"Will, just think how awkward it must be for her! You know how everyone is when someone new comes here." She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

He sighed, and then muttered, "You're going to make me go whether I like it or not, so I suppose I don't really have any say in this matter. I might as well not fight it." Cecily grinned and took his wrist once more, catching him by surprise and racing towards the girl. "By the Angel," he said under his breath as Cecily went at the speed of lightning.

_I'm going to hurl, _he thought distastefully as they made a very sharp turn.

Finally, they spotted her. Her chocolate brown hair was put up into a loose bun. Her gray eyes were stormy and vibrant. Her mouth was set in a stubborn line, and she had a serious face.

"Hello," Cecily greeted. Will shook his head and leaned against the wall, staring at the ground. "My name is Cecily Herondale. That is my older brother William."

"Will," he corrected.

"Same thing," she whispered to him harshly. He threw on a mock offended expression on his face.

"Anyways," she continued, "we'd like to—"

Will interrupted her. "_She'd _like to."

"—welcome you to our school," Cecily finished, ignoring her brother.

The new girl eyed Will skeptically. He threw her a grin, and she rolled her eyes.

"My name is Tessa," she said after a moment. "Tessa Gray."

Cecily had a smug, satisfied smile on her face, as if she was proud to be the first student to know her name. Will let out an exaggerated huff and rolled his eyes. The two girls stared at him, and then Cecily asked her if she'd like to sit with them at lunch. _Cecily, no, no, no, no! _Will thought.

Tessa shrugged. "I guess. I've got nowhere else to sit, I don't think."

Will mentally groaned.

Having enough of this, Will pushed himself off the wall and began walking off to first period with Jem.

He heard Cecily calling out, "Oh, no you don't!" But he just laughed, and carried on to his class.

* * *

"Take a seat, class; we've got a new student today," Mr. Lightwood announced.

Will's eyes widened. _No._

He continued, "Miss Theresa Gray." She whispered to him, "Tessa," but he didn't really seem to care.

"Take a seat, Miss Gray, anywhere that's available."

Will, panicking, looked over at Jem, who smiled. _How can he be smiling when the few empty seats are next to us? _Tessa's eyes met Will's and made her way near him, but not sitting next to him, for there was an empty seat between them.

He spotted the book she had with her, '_A Tale of Two Cities' _by Charles Dickens.

_Oh, no, _he thought, _that blasted book is going to follow me for the rest of my life, isn't it?_

Mr. Lightwood never really looked at the class, which is why everyone was on their phones. "That's called meiosis. Does anyone have any questions?" He didn't turn around and kept his eyes on the board. Several people raised their hands but he didn't notice, clearly. "Good. Your homework for tonight is to work on page 293 in your science textbook. You may work now for the remaining minutes in class."

He always gave brief lessons in class, so they had forty minutes left. Everyone could work silently… But when given forty minutes of free class time, everyone's going to talk, of course. Sometimes students even leave the classroom and just roam the halls.

Mr. Lightwood does this because he just wants to go on dating websites, and finds demonic-like women to date. It's insane. Not that anyone's complaining, of course.

Tessa let out a sigh and grabbed a textbook laid on the center of the table and pulled out a piece of paper out of her folder.

Will, wanting to see how much it will take to see her snap, grabbed her Charles Dickens book and inspected it. "Oh, interesting," he said.

Tessa glanced up and gritted her teeth. "Give that back."

Will smirked. "Why? Oh, were you reading this? I do apologize, forgive me."

"I am serious," she told him, snatching the book out of his hand. "I'll have you know that so far, the impression that you're giving me of yourself isn't very pleasant."

"Well, I do aim to please." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She stared at him with a horrified expression. "You're a real jerk, you know."

"Well, I was sure that Lucie Manette, Sydney Carton, and Charles Darnay could've waited a moment."

Her eyes widened, and then gave him an impressed look. "You've read this?"

"Unfortunately, yes." He looked away and noticed that Jem was giving him a cautious look.

"How is it unfortunate?" Tessa inquired.

Will laughed and looked over to Jem once more. "Look here, Jem. She's asking questions at a mile a minute."

Jem looked exasperated, and turned to Tessa. "I apologize for Will being…well, Will. I wish I could say you get used to his behavior, but…" Tessa smiled a bit. "I'm James Carstairs, but everyone calls me Jem. You're Tessa?" She nodded. "Well, Tessa. I assume Cecily has already talked to you." She stared at him, and then gave a slow nod. The corners of his mouth turned up.

Will was staring at the two in astonishment. Of course Jem was able to make friends with anyone at an instant.

Suddenly, he felt an urge to talk to the gray-eyed girl.

"So," Will said uncomfortably. He wasn't used to being polite with people. "Did you move here to our ever-pleasant London?" He was joking. It was always cloudy and gray and sort of depressing.

Tessa sighed. "Yes, from New York in America."

Will grinned. "That explains the accent."

"Right," she said. "What about you, Mister William Herondale?" she joked. "I detect some sort of accent laced in your British one."

He smiled and looked Jem. "This is a clever one, you see." He looked back at Tessa. "No one really notices; too distracted by my handsome features."

Tessa rolled her eyes.

"But really: I'm quite impressed, my dear Tessa. I grew up in Wales. Moved here." He shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.

She glared at him. "I'm not _your _Tessa."

"She's feisty as well, Jem. She's certainly a fearsome thing to behold." Will chuckled and Jem shot her an apologetic look.

Tessa scowled at him. "I'm right here, you know. It's not like I can't hear, genius."

"And she's sarcastic, and also a reader, from what I can tell."

"_Will._"

"_Tessa_," he mocked.

"William," Jem said, shaking his head.

He groaned. "Oh, how marvelous. You're in on it too, Jem? Tessa, your turn."

"Permission to slap?" Tessa asked Jem.

"Permission granted."

She raised her hand, about to fulfill her words, when Will took hold of her wrist before she could. "Tsk, tsk. You don't just go hitting practically strangers often, do you?" He looked amused.

Tessa's body was shaking in anger. He took note of this and decided that she was definitely not like other girls who look up to him as if he's a god of some sort. Will stared at her, studying her closely and Tessa, with a determined look, stared back. Goodness, was she stubborn.

A few seconds longer and Jem had cleared his throat. They tore their eyes apart from each other and Will then muttered something about the weather.

The _weather_.

He had really stooped down to that.

* * *

"Where's the new girl?" Cecily asked, frowning.

"Her name is Tessa," he corrected. She's gained his respect, after those forty minutes in Mr. Lightwood's room. She proved that she was indeed the opposite of the other girls at this school. She was different in a good way, and Will liked that, although he didn't want to admit it.

Cecily shook her head and then nodded once. "Sorry. Yes, Tessa. Have you seen her?"

"No, I haven't." He gave her a serious look. "Okay, I'm kidding. She's at her locker, getting her lunch."

Cecily eyed him warily. "How do you know this?"

Will shrugged.

Cecily had a right to be suspicious; he sort of had a reputation with girls.

"Just do."

"Right…" she said, taking a bite of her sandwich. "Look, Will. Tessa seems nice. Don't try anything with her."

He looked incredulous and put a hand over his mouth. "You know I wouldn't." Cecily looked doubtful.

Cecily turned her head and spotted Tessa walking in the lunch room, her hands clutched to her lunch box, swallowing as she took in the large room with students.

"What, where you expecting a prison?" Will asked, teasing slightly. Cecily shot him a look.

Tessa didn't look at him when she spoke, "Nope. It's just a bit different than what I'm used to." Will stared at her, then raised his eyebrows and returned to his lunch, which was the usual: a ham sandwich with mustard and mayo (no cheese, thank you).

"So, Tessa," Cecily started. She glanced up to look at her. "Do you like our school so far? Any of your classes…?"

She shrugged. "I like the school, and the classes are alright." She glanced at Will. "There are some things, however, that could be better."

Everyone looked at Will, who gaped. "_Better? _What do you mean '_better_'? I'm the best there is!"

Tessa rolled her eyes. She seemed to do that a lot, Will noticed, around him. "Keep dreaming, Herondale." Cecily and Jem snorted, trying to cover their smiles, while Will's eyes were wide open as he gawked at her. Moments later, he finally shook his head, trying to hide his disbelief of the girl that is Tessa Gray. _No girl _had been like that around him before. He huffed, and took a bite of his sandwich a bit too aggressively.

* * *

Will entered Starbucks.

He desperately needed some coffee, any kind. There was no line, so he went to the front. "Hello," the guy at the cashier said. Will's blue eyes landed on his name tag: _Jace_. He looked oddly familiar. His tawny eyes looked amused and his lips held a slight smirk. "What can I get you?"

Will tried not to roll his eyes at the innuendo in his voice.

"Uh, French roast, please," he murmured, grabbing his wallet.

"Comin' right up," he said, grinning. "_Clary!_ Guy wants French roast!"

Will stood impatiently, counting the long seconds that felt like an eternity. In the meantime, he thought about his parents, and how they weren't going to be home—_again. _Will was tired of being alone. He had Cecily, of course, but still. He could always invite Jem to come over. Ella was already married, so of course she was out of the house with her fancy husband. He sighed.

"Here you go," Jace said, handing him his coffee. A girl stood beside him—Clary, he thought, thinking of the name Jace had called out. She had red hair put up into a ponytail and bright green eyes that held defiance in them. They were particularly close, so Will assumed they were dating or something. He told him how much it was, and Will took out his wallet, giving him six pounds. "Keep the rest," he said, taking the coffee in his hand. Jace raised his eyebrows. _There's something about him..._Will began thinking, only to be interrupted by Clary.

"Well, are you just going to keep standing there, or…?"

"Right, sorry. Sorry." Will left Starbucks, taking a sip of the hot, smoky coffee, and walked back to his house, and saw something he wished he hadn't seen.

"_No_," he actually said aloud. "No, no, no, no, _no."_

He clutched the coffee tighter raced inside his home, toward Cecily. "Cecy!" he shouted, the dark drink spilling occasionally.

Will ran inside her room, kicking the door open. "Hey, that's my door—"

"Care to elaborate?" Will inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Cecily tilted her head. "Elaborate on what?"

He took a deep breath to keep himself from strangling something. "Apparently, we have new neighbors." His sister all of a sudden brightened, and gave him a wide grin.

"Oh, yeah. Tessa just moved across the street."

* * *

**A/N: **_So I figured I'd leave you all with a cliffhanger. Tell me what you think? Yay or nay? Shall I continue? BY THE WAY, I LAUGHED SO HARD WRITING THE JACE/CLARY/WILL PART AT STARBUCKS. I HAD TO, OKAY. Now, on to forcing my brother to watching Doctor Who with me :D_

_Review for the next chapter!(:_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices, The Mortal Instruments, or Starbucks or anything here I mentioned. I own nothing._


	2. Chapter 2

**Previously…**

"_Care to elaborate?" Will inquired, raising an eyebrow._

_Cecily tilted her head. "Elaborate on what?"_

He_ took a deep breath to keep himself from strangling something. "Apparently, we have new neighbors." His sister all of a sudden brightened, and gave him a wide grin._

"_Oh, yeah. Tessa just moved across the street."_

* * *

"Tessie, can you help me with that box?" her brother, Nate, said.

Tessa scowled behind the many boxes she was already carrying. She blew a hair out of her face. "Can't you see that I'm carrying a lot already?"

She never liked moving. It was always exhausting and a lot of work. The two siblings were used to it, though. Even though Tessa was in grade ten, she had moved nine times already. She's usually in a school for about a year, before moving again to a _new _school. The only difference being—this is another country.

Cecily Herondale scared Tessa out of her wits when she approached her out of nowhere. Apparently, the Herondales lived across the street from her. Oh, joy.

Tessa liked Cecily, though. She was the first friend Tessa made at school earlier that day. The only problem was _William Herondale_. His sister reassured her that he wasn't that bad, although Tessa had her doubts. She had already heard enough about him about him throughout her first day. All the girls found him attractive, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't as well.

But as soon as she met him for the first time, she knew to stay away from him. And every girl's conversation that included Will made her think even less of him. But now she'd be seeing him probably on a daily basis.

"_Tessa..._" Nate whined. She dropped the boxes on the ground and clenched her teeth.

"Fine," she hissed. Her brother was nothing but lazy. She picked up the box and nearly tumbled over. "This is insanely heavy, Nate!"

He grinned at her.

"That's not funny," she mumbled. She, with all her strength, somehow managed to get the box inside the house.

It would definitely not be fun unpacking all of this.

_On to the next one, _Tessa thought, frowning.

"Why the long face?" someone asked. Tessa spun around and saw Cecily. Relief was evident on her face.

Tessa sighed and rubbed her temples. "My brother and I are trying to get these boxes in the house. I'm so tired, oh my gosh." She collapsed on the bean bag that was sitting in the garage. Cecily looked thoughtfully at her, and her eyes narrowed.

Tessa, of course, was curious.

"What're you thinking?"

Cecily all of a sudden blurted, "We could help you."

Tessa raised an eyebrow. "We?"

"Yes. Will and I," she said, insisting. Tessa tensed in her bean bag. _Oh. _She didn't want Will's help. She didn't want him around her. He was dangerous.

She soon realized that it was probably going to be all or nothing, so she declined. "It's fine. My brother and I can manage."

As if on cue, Nate yelled out, "_Tessa! We have like. Like. Like, you know, fifteen more boxes or somethin'_."

Cecily gave her a pointed look.

"We're fine. Trust me."

"_Tessaaaa…!"_

Nate was really getting on her nerves today. But she composed herself, and got up to start lifting up more boxes as her brother just watched. Cecily stared at her, but then, after a moment, just shrugged and walked back to her house.

* * *

Will was rereading '_Tale-Tale Heart' _by Edgar Allan Poe. He found it amusing by how many times the protagonist claimed he is not mad, and to prove it, he demonstrated how smart he was when killing the man with the 'vulture eye.' He kept saying how a mad man would've never thought of that, and that his senses were better than the average human, and then the sound of a heart (whether it was actually the old man's or his own, we don't know) killed him.

Of course.

But, nevertheless, Will enjoyed the story.

As he got deeper and deeper into the story, to the part when the officers came in and the man was getting overwhelmed, Cecily just _had _to walk in his room, yanking the iPad (from which he was reading from), and threw it on the bed.

"What was that for?" Will exclaimed. He frowned. "It was just getting good, and—_oh_. Cecy, what do you want?"

She smiled an innocent smile. "What made you think that I wanted something?"

"I can read your soul."

"Funny. Now come on, _we_ are going to help Tessa unpack. You're going. Whether you like it or not. Come on, William." She grabbed his wrist and yanked him. She was surprisingly strong. He flew forward and nearly stumbled over.

"Cecy!" he shouted. "Dear God," he murmured as she practically dragged him downstairs.

He wriggled his arm out of her grasp, and was finally free. Will jumped up, and grinned. Cecily scowled at him. "Now, now, Cecily. Calm yourself."

"Come _on_, I haven't got all day."

"_I_'ve never agreed to this."

"Well, you're going."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are," she groaned. "Look. I'm trying to be nice to the new student and new neighbor. I think we could all be a potential clique or group thing or whatever. Just be nice. For once. For your darling sister." Will's face softened when he saw her puppy-dog eyes. _I can't believe I'm _actually_ falling for that, _he thought with gritted teeth and a look of frustration.

"Fine. Gosh."

They walked out the door together, and the cool air hit them in the face. Of course it was windy. Cecily's hair was going all over the place and Will couldn't help but laugh, which earned him a scowl as she tried to fix it.

They moved into a nice home, Will noticed. Sometimes him and his sister would go into that house when it was for sale and hang out in there, even though it was empty. It was quite spacious, which they both liked. The house itself was a white pristine color with big windows with their dark blue windowsills. There was a nice porch that already had chairs to sit in. There was a balcony with a good view, Will knew, from exploring the house before hundreds of times.

But Will couldn't admire it, because there was a massive truck in the way and boxes all over the place. He saw Tessa with a gigantic box (or at least he thinks it was Tessa; the box was in the way) in her arms and she walked inside, closing the door with her leg.

"Let's surprise her," Cecily said.

"Uh, Cecily, I don't think that'd be a very good idea—"

"Shut up, Will. Now come on."

He still didn't think it was a good idea. Instead, he walked up the porch and stood by the door, and was hesitant for a moment. After thinking it through for a moment, he decided to just ditch Cecily or something.

He rang it the doorbell anyway.

Tessa opened it immediately. He noticed that her gray eyes were wary and they hardened at the sight of him. Will, all of a sudden, started to feel bad that she was always acting this way around him.

Not knowing what to say, Will scratched his arm through the fabric awkwardly. "Hello," he greeted, feeling the urge to slap himself abruptly.

"Hi," she said back, clearly confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Cecily, um…" he started to say, but Tessa then put a hand up and shook her head.

"Yeah, she came here earlier and asked if she could help. You included." She spoke quieter on the last sentence.

Will stared at her. "Oh. Well, we're here." He ran a hand through his head. _Really_, he scolded himself. _I didn't think she noticed._

"Yeah," she said softly. Cecily walked over to the two, making them both snap their heads in her direction.

She asked, "So, what do you need help with?"

Tessa shook her head. "It's fine. I can do it myself."

"You're going to break your back," Will said.

"Well, then let me. I can do it myself," she repeated.

He looked amused. "You're stubborn, aren't you?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Ooh, you're observant. Congratulations." She rolled her eyes. Back to doing that again, he noted.

Will then said, moments later, "I'll carry the heavy stuff." Cecily nodded and went to whatever box Tessa was approaching and helped her lift it up, both of them carrying one. And another. And a few more.

He was quite surprised when he found out that her brother was doing none of the work. He just sat back and relaxed. He was on the phone, talking to whoever, taking swigs of his alcohol. Will huffed, and wanted to yell at him for making his younger sister do all the hard work while he just sits around all day.

Although he didn't think that Tessa would appreciate it, and if Tessa didn't appreciate it, _Cecily _wouldn't appreciate it.

And he didn't want to risk his sister's wrath.

He grabbed the final box, which was the heaviest. Will assumed there was a TV in there or something, but it was really heavy. Tessa left the house and shut the door behind her, and gasped when she saw Will carrying the biggest box of them all.

"Will, no!" she raced over to him. His head shot up. "Don't carry that one. I'll do it."

Will was incredulous. "Not this one. Much too heavy for you."

Tessa pondered this for a moment as he started walking towards the door. "At least let me help you." It sounded like it pained for her to say that. He rolled his eyes. She was very persistent.

"Fine."

They each grabbed an end of the box, and carried it. Cecily said, because they were both carrying it, that maybe she could sit on top of it and wave like a queen, but Will screamed a "NO" at her, because it obviously needed more weight (that was sarcasm, by the way).

When it got inside the house, they all breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally over.

Tessa then widened her eyes. "I'm sorry! I should probably offer you a drink or something. It's freezing outside and you guys just did that."

"It's not that cold. You get used to it after a while," Cecily shrugged.

Will looked at his sister and raised an eyebrow. "No, you don't."

"I'm trying to lighten the mood."

"Whatever."

Tessa then spoke, "Would you guys like some tea?" They both nodded and thanked her, and she went put filled a teapot with water and started to heat it. She got the cups ready and laid them on the kitchen; the teabags already in the cup, and the sugar out.

"How many teaspoons of sugar do you like in your tea?" she asked.

Both Will and Cecily replied, "Just two." They glared at each other at the sudden unison.

The three of them just stood awkwardly. Cecily made weak attempts of conversation. Tessa nodded her head or just said, "Yeah" occasionally.

Will decided it was his time to shine, and told one of his experiences in Hyde Park about trying to get Jem to feed a poultry pie to the mallards there to see if they could breed a race of cannibal ducks. "They ate it too," Will said, thinking of how their eyes might as well glowed red. "Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck."

Cecily and Tessa laughed, and the corner of his mouth twitched up.

The teapot started whistling and Tessa grabbed the pot, turning of the stove and poured the steaming hot water into the cups. She started preparing the tea and Cecily asked him, "You really did that?"

Will grinned. "Of course. You can even ask Jem if you want."

Tessa grabbed the two cups and hastily, yet carefully, placed the teacups on the table that was already there. "Enjoy. And thank you both for helping."

Cecily automatically said, "We could help you unpack too, if you want."

Tessa widened her eyes and shook her head. "No! No, that's fine, really. You guys helped too much already. Thank you. But please. We can do this part on our own—"

Will spoke before could even process it, "You mean you."

Tessa stopped and stared at him. "What?"

_Uh-oh_, he thought. Carefully choosing his words, he said, "You're the one doing most of the work. You shouldn't be doing it all on your own."

Tessa was silent, but then she looked down and said, "I'm fine on my own, thank you." Cecily looked at Will, and they both shrugged.

Once they finished their tea, they went back to their house, where Will felt no interest to finish _'Tell-Tale Heart'_, and to just lie down, and contemplate.

* * *

**A/N: **_That was a bad ending. Thank you all for your lovely reviews! I do enjoy reading them. I hope you all have a nice day (:_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything mentioned in this story. Nothing is mine, trust me._


	3. Chapter 3

**Previously…**

_Once they finished their tea, they went back to their house, where Will felt no interest to finish 'Tell-Tale Heart', and to just lie down, and contemplate._

* * *

Tessa, after she had unpacked nearly half of the boxes, stood by the carpeted staircase, looking smug. Nate fell asleep in the sun and when she went to check on him, he was redder than a tomato. She had to literally drag him into the house, and he nearly fell on top of her.

Not one of her best moments.

Nevertheless, she was proud that she had at least had the house looking pretty decent.

The walls had yet to be painted. She couldn't decide what color to paint it. She loved her new white couch and chairs with its black-and-white pillows, but what Tessa _really _loved was her flooring, which was cherry wood.

She already knew where to put the TV—a little bit to the right of the fireplace, so she and her brother could watch it on the couch, or in the kitchen where it was in the open with a nice granite island. The cabinets were cherry wood as well (plus, a pantry!) and the fridge and freezer were stainless steel.

Tessa really loved her house so far.

It was getting stuffy, so she turned on the ceiling fan, which was huge because of the high ceiling. She went to go check on her older brother who was in his bedroom already. It was unbelievable how his bed was already there and was made, but it was already messy. Her brother was sprawled on top of it, looking a sickly green. Tessa huffed and gently woke up her brother. His eyes were bloodshot.

"Tessie," he moaned, reaching for her. She shook her head and brought him to the bathroom, where she could hear the oh-so-pleasant sounds he made all the way from her bedroom, which was the master bedroom.

Her room was a lavender color with a queen sized bed. It was her favorite room in the house not because of the size or anything, but because of the _books _that inhabited the place. They were stored in a wooden bookshelf painted white. It was quite a large bookshelf, too, but then again, she had a lot of books to store. She basically had a whole wall dedicated to it.

She really enjoyed the classics, though. Her favorite was _A Tale of Two Cities_, and she read it most frequently.

She then thought of when Will took her book and might as well have insulted her for reading it. She tightened her jaw and walked to the bathroom to check on her brother.

"Nate?" Tessa called. "How're you doing in there?"

She heard him cough once, twice. "Horrible. Get out of here; I don't want you seeing me like this." Tessa shrugged.

"Okay, then. Well, I'm going to the library later, 'kay?"

"Have fun," he said flatly, and she walked off to get a snack from the pantry.

* * *

"_Oh, Saturdays, how I do love you so!_" Will heard his sister mockingly say in an exaggerated voice.

"Shut up, Cecily!" he shouted.

"_No!_" she shouted back. He let out a frustrated groan and threw a pillow from his bed at her down the stairs. "_Ow! Hey!_" she yelled. "_What was that for?!"_

"You wouldn't shut up," he replied, and then closed his door. Will was bored out of his mind. He had nothing to do. He could watch TV, maybe some movies. But no good ones ever played on Saturday, which really sucked.

He could read a book. Find one that he hasn't read a million times already. He had started looking, but then he realized that today would be the day his sister would never leave him alone.

"Oh, William," she said. She had a grin on her face.

Will narrowed his eyes. "Yes…?"

She clasped her hands together. "Well, um. Can you take me to the store later?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why _me_?"

"Because you have a car. And a license."

"Fair enough."

"I'm serious, Will."

"Fine," he said, holding a hand up.

She continued on, "Please! I really want to go, and—did you just say yes?"

Will nodded slowly. "I've got nothing else to do."

Cecily nearly jumped with joy. "Thanks!" She hugged him. Will was caught off-guard when she did so, but nevertheless, returned it.

When she left the room, all he could think was, _Girls…_

* * *

After the long twenty minute drive, Will parked his car in the parking lot. For a Saturday, there weren't many cars there. "So what am I supposed to do while you're gone?" he asked.

Cecily took off her seatbelt and pushed the car door open. "I don't know. There's a library right there. You can go there or something."

"All right, then. Call me when you're done, okay?"

She smiled. "Okay. See you in like an hour or so." He nodded and she took off, her figure getting smaller and smaller until she entered the big store. Will gulped. He wasn't sure if he should have let her gone. She was his younger sister. Something could happen to her, and it could be his entire fault. Maybe he should've gone inside with her, and protected her better there.

He would've hated it if someone had done that for him, though.

Besides, she was _Cecily Herondale. _

He started the car and made his way toward the library, which was across the street.

* * *

Tessa was in awe.

The place was giant, so much bigger than the library in New York, which was pretty big. But all that occupied her mind at the moment was _books books books._

She had to sign up for a library card there, she thought, so she went over to the lady who showed her how to do it, then gave her the card for her to sign her name on, and was free to check out any book she wishes and that she can check out as much as thirty-five and so on.

Tessa's eyes lit up when she saw _Great Expectations_. She reached for it and held it tightly against her chest. She kept looking around and nearly freaked out in the quiet library when she saw Lord Tennyson, and oh!—Emily Dickinson. To summarize, she nearly passed out in excitement.

She reached for _David Copperfield_, but it appeared that someone else was about to as well. Their fingers touched, and Tessa felt a little shock. She turned her head and gasped. "_Will?_" she said incredulously.

"Well, this is…unexpected." He drew his hand back and smiled. "Hello, my darling Tessa."

"Don't call me that."

Will chuckled.

Tessa was curious. "Why are you here?" she inquired.

He smirked. "Same reason you are, obviously. To get a book. To read. Things people usually do in a library."

She pushed her hair back, and said, "Well, yeah. But I didn't know that you…"

Will tilted his head purposely. "That I what? Enjoy reading?"

Tessa nodded meekly. "Most people our age don't."

He laughed, a nice, comforting sound, Tessa realized. "You should know by now that I'm not like most people."

"I guess not…?" Tessa shook her head. "But you were about to grab that Dickens book. Since when do you read any of the classics?"

"What made you think I didn't?"

Tessa scowled. "How about your whole personality, the way you act towards others, and how crude you can be, and maybe that one time when you grabbed my book and just acted like a jerk then."

He grinned.

This made Tessa slightly more infuriated. "What are you so happy about?"

"You're just… Never mind." Will shook his head and handed her _David Copperfield_. "Here you go, Tess." She stared at him, bewildered. No one had ever called her _Tess _before. Her brother called her Tessie, but she was used to it—he was her brother after all. But _Tess_. She kind of liked it. Even if Will would be the one who calls her that.

His cell phone rang, cutting her out of her thoughts. "I believe that's my cue. Good seeing you, Tessa."

And he left, and she just stood there in shock.

* * *

**A/N: **_This was a shorter chapter. I felt like this was a good place to leave off *laughs evilly*. I am so glad you guys like the story so far! Thank you all for the reviews. You're all beautiful people. Lol okay._

_Just a little warning that I'm really trying to update around daily, but if I can't, it's because I'm horrible with it. So, sorry in advance. Okay. Yeah._

_Have a nice Sunday, everyone :)_

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story. Nothing is mine, just the idea. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Previously…**

_"You're just… Never mind." Will shook his head and handed her__David Copperfield__. "Here you go, Tess." She stared at him, bewildered. No one had ever called her__Tess__before. Her brother called her Tessie, but she was used to it—he was her brother after all. But__Tess__. She kind of liked it. Even if Will would be the one who calls her that._

_His cell phone rang, cutting her out of her thoughts. "I believe that's my cue. Good seeing you, Tessa."_

_And he left, and she just stood there in shock._

* * *

(**Sunday**)

The next morning, Tessa heard the doorbell ring and rushed down the stairs. "I'll get it!" she yelled for her brother to hear. She swung the door open. Disappointment filled her. There was no one there. Sighing and about to shut the door, she noticed something on the ground. It was a small folded piece of paper and Tessa picked it up.

"Oh," she mumbled. She unfolded it and saw cursive writing in silver sharpie.

_Tessa Gray:_

_As our new neighbor, we'd like to invite you for dinner over the weekend. Your brother can come too, if he'd like. We'd love it if you two came. _

_How's Saturday at six o'clock? _

_Sincerely,_

_The Herondales_

She smiled. She's never been formally invited to a dinner before. Tessa went upstairs all the way to Nate's room. "Hey," she greeted.

"Go away," he said.

Tessa raised an eyebrow and sat on his bed. "Well, you're especially pleasant this morning."

"Yes, it must be the smell of the roses and the beautiful sunshine," he said sarcastically.

"Sheesh. You're nice." Tessa scoffed. "Look. The Herondales invited us for dinner on Saturday. You wanna go?"

He turned his head to look at her. It still astonished Tessa how they looked nothing alike. It sort of filled her with sadness. "You can go. But I've got to work."

"You mean gamble," she said, surprising herself with her words. Oops.

"Whatever. I don't want to go."

"Fine, then. I just thought it'd be a great way to make friends with our neighbors, is all." Tessa stood, and walked out of his room and went back downstairs. Tessa got a piece of paper and a pen and started writing back.

_To: The Herondales_

_From: Tessa Gray_

_I'd love to go. My brother, unfortunately, will not be joining, for he has to work. However, I can go. Saturday at six would be a great time. I'll see you all then._

She sauntered to the Herondales' house and left the note, rang the doorbell, and went back to their house quickly. She shut the door behind her and sat down, sighing, glad that at least the people here are nice.

* * *

Cecily Herondale opened the door. She reached for the note that was on the ground and smiled. She opened it and read it, and was then excited that her new neighbor would join them for dinner. It wasn't something they normally did, although Cecily suggested it and they all agreed.

It was on the rare occasion that her parents would be at home, and they didn't really mind.

"She said she can go," Cecily told her parents. They just so happened to be there that morning and she was pleased to see them. Although when they were here, her brother William didn't really want to see them.

Her mother, whose name was Linette, smiled but didn't say anything. Her father, Edmund, just nodded and returned to reading the newspaper. Cecily frowned. They wouldn't talk to her, she realized, and walked out of the room.

Cecily was bored out of her mind, and having nothing to do, she walked to her brother's room. Jem was here, so it was nice to see something different going on in this house. She knocked on the door.

"Go away, Cecily."

Immediately she said, "But…"

"Go away, Cecily," Will repeated, although with more fierceness.

She heard Jem say, "Come on, Will. Be nice. Let her in."

"But she's my sister…"

"Exactly."

"You're so infuriating," Will mumbled as he opened the door, and Cecily entered.

"Hi," she said, grinning. Will rolled his eyes and Jem slapped his arm. "So I'm just confirming that Tessa _will_ be coming over on Saturday."

She thinks she imagined it, but she might've saw Will's eyes light up in the slightest. "Really?"

"Yeah, she even wrote a note." She handed it to him and he snatched it out of her hands rather ungracefully. "_Well,"_ she huffed.

"_I'd love to go, my brother, unfortunately, will not be joining, for he has to work, however, I can go, and Saturday at six would be a great time, I'll see you all then_," Will rushed.

He gave back the note and Jem tilted his head. "What's going on?" he asked.

Cecily hadn't realized that they hadn't told Jem about this. "I invited Tessa over for dinner, since she's our new neighbor and all."

Jem's expression hadn't changed a bit. "She lives here?"

_Had Will not told him this?_ Cecily wondered. "Yeah." She eyed her older brother suspiciously. "She lives across the street from us…"

Jem took his time to answer. "Oh," he said merely, which made Cecily want to roll her eyes because he took that long to say _that_.

It was sort of awkward after that, and Cecily didn't enjoy it a bit, so she left the room, shutting the door.

* * *

Tessa hummed as she folded some of the laundry she had done. She was tired of doing things for Nate. He was at this club—Club Pandemonium, apparently—and probably getting drunk _again_. Or just gambling. He saw it as a 'job' and it really infuriated her, although she chose not to speak of it.

She loved her brother, but sometimes…

She laid his clothes on his bed and hung hers in her new closet. She placed her hands on her hips and smiled. Her whole house was complete.

But there was one thing Tessa didn't look forward to, and that was _school_. Oh, joy.

She hated being in the spotlight and when you're a new student—correction, a new _American _student, something was surely going to happen. Although Cecily and Jem were nice. Will…not so much.

He wasn't horrible but he wasn't extremely pleasant either.

Plus, he's got that whole reputation thing going on. Sighing, she laid down on her bed. Overwhelmed with tiredness from the whole day of getting the house together, she slept.

* * *

**A/N: **_Meh, I didn't like this chapter, but *shrugs*. So, you guys want some Wessa ;) Well, I can't rush this story, but next chapter I'll try to add in something. But remember...there's a whole dinner at the Herondales, so something may or may not happen there ;D_

_Okay, well, my battery on my computer's about to die, so yeah._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	5. Chapter 5

**Previously…**

_Sighing, she laid down on her bed. Overwhelmed with tiredness from the whole day of getting the house together, she slept._

* * *

"_Tessie, wake up!" _Nate shouted. _"Start getting ready for school!"_

Tessa squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her pillow against her head. "No!" she yelled. "New students are always absent on their first few days, let me do the same!"

Her brother walked into her room, and leaned against the doorframe. He opened the blinds and bright light seeped in. "By the Angel," Tessa hissed. He gave her a stern look and told her to get ready. Seeing that there was no way she could get back to sleep now, she pushed him out of her room and chose her clothes: dark blue jeans and a warm brown sweater. She brushed her hair and put a hair tie on her wrist in case she wanted to put her hair up later. She put on her gray wool boots and put an umbrella in her backpack in case it would rain later.

Tessa felt a nervous fluttering in the pit of her stomach. It was her second day at school, she shouldn't be so nervous, but she couldn't help it. She swallowed, and swung her backpack around her shoulder. "I'll drive," she told her brother, who nodded. He turned on the TV with the remote and began channel surfing.

"Have fun at school," he said, not looking at Tessa. She gave him a tight-lipped smile and stepped inside the garage, where the silver Camaro was. She got inside where the passenger side would normally be for her, and wondered how the heck she was going to get used to this. Tessa started the car and put her hands on the wheel, backing out.

It surprisingly didn't take too long for her to get used to it. Of course, she'd have to be so accustomed that she'd be able to do it almost every day without thinking about it.

Tessa parked and turned off the engine, twisting the keys and pulling them back into her backpack's pocket. She slouched in the driver's seat, asking herself whether she would go in her not. Tessa shook her head. She needs to do this. It's just school.

* * *

She was wrong.

Everyone was acting in some sort of idiotic way, and it made Tessa huff.

"Oh, well would you look at that?" a feminine voice drawled. "I believe it's the new girl!" Tessa turned around and saw a gorgeous blonde girl and brown eyes. She was smaller than Tessa, like most girls are, but had a perfect body and perfect tan and perfect everything and dear _goodness_, was Tessa jealous.

This girl was obviously a popular.

"I'm Jessamine," she said, smiling widely and showing off her flawless teeth. "You are?"

Tessa stared at her for a moment, realizing that _she_ was talking to her, and she saw that Jessamine was looking at her with an expectant expression on her face. "Oh. Oh, um, can you say that again?"

Jessamine gave her an unimpressed look, and turned over to her friends, said something, and they giggled. Tessa felt a sudden need to curtsy and profusely apologize, although Tessa then realized that that would be strange.

"I asked for your name," Jessamine said, rolling her eyes. "Are you deaf?"

Tessa then felt a dislike for the girl, and crossed her arms. "I am not. My name is Tessa." She looked down at her. Jessamine and her friends scoffed and then walked away. She tightened her jaw and walked off to her first class, where Will and Jem would be.

* * *

Tessa smiled at the two boys, hoping they'd all be friends later. She'd need it since so far, her situation with Jessamine was not a good one. This was a social disaster.

Jem smiled back immediately, but Will didn't even look at her. His face hid under his arm so only his inky black hair was visible. Tessa frowned.

"Is he okay?" she mouthed at Jem, who shook his head. "What happened?" He bit his lip, looking at Will, and then back at her. Most likely considering whether he should tell her or not.

"Never mind," her mouth formed and she looked down, feeling foreign and unwelcome at this place. She really started missing her new house.

"So, Tessa," Jem said, hoping this would get some sort of reaction from Will, "I heard you moved across from Will and Cecily's house. Are you adjusting well?"

Tessa nodded. "Yeah. My brother and I finished unpacking and painting and everything. Things are going nicely."

"That's good to hear," he said. He was so nice, Tessa thought. "Will, I think the bell's about to ring."

He looked up with an expression that made Tessa wary. He looked icy cold, careless, and cruel. Tessa gulped, not speaking so he wouldn't take out whatever he had inside of him out on her.

Will stared at Jem right in the eye and spoke, "Oh, _thank you _for the kind reminder, James. It would be of useful service for later and the rest of my life. Please, allow me to ignore the world in peace."

"Goodness," Tessa said automatically, "you're awfully pleasant this morning."

He finally looked at her with a glare, and Tessa shivered. She could literally feel the cold. "Not that I see that it's any of your concern, but why do you ask?"

"I never asked. Just merely…stated," she mumbled and hoped that he'd stop looking at her with that cruel stare. He then rolled his eyes and went back to hiding his face, his arms on top of each other. Tessa's eyes widened briefly, and she looked down, clutching at her clockwork angel pendant her mother gave her, when she was alive.

Tessa blinked back tears at the thought of her mother. She had passed very recently, and her father left out of the blue when she and Nate were younger. That's how she ended up here, in London. She moved with her brother because she had no other guardian looking after her. He was the only family she had left.

"I'm going to get some water," Will announced and quickly got up rather ungracefully. He banged his knee against the table. "_Bloody hell!" _he exclaimed.

"Angel, are you alright?" Tessa asked, her features showing concern.

He didn't look at her and stormed out of the classroom, his voice rough when saying, "For God's sake, leave me alone."

She was silent for the rest of the class.

* * *

Will wanted to kick something—kick _anything_. He walked inside the bathroom and kicked the wall, and hard as he could. Pain struck his foot, spreading throughout his body and he hissed, although he was relieved to feel something other than grief. Something that would distract him from…

Ella.

What happened was she came over for a visit yesterday, at around eight o'clock. An unidentifiable male entered the house and was shouting at everyone there, that he's not afraid to shoot. He kept repeating himself, since the Herondales were nothing but calm. They trained for stuff like this as they were growing up.

Seeing that his trying for intimidation had failed, Cecily and Will looked at each other, and nodded. They kicked and hit and did everything they could to protect their family, protect their home. However, he did manage to get one shot in.

At Ella, his eldest sister, who cared for him too much; he did not deserve her love.

Breathing heavily, Will looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were dark, face flushed from anger and every emotion that inhabited him at this very moment. His dark hair was slightly tousled, and Will tore his eyes from the mirror and went to the sink, splashing water on his face.

Once he was done, he made his way back to the classroom. His eyes caught Jem's, who gave Will a look of sympathy, but Will didn't want it, nor did he deserve it. He exhaled sharply and sat back down. Jem gave him a knowing glance and Will just shook his head, not wanting to talk about it or anything.

Wanting to look somewhat casual, he grinned, although inside, he was screaming.

He looked over at Tessa, who was looking down awkwardly, one hand fiddling with the hem of her shirt, the other around her necklace. She gripped it as if it might save her life; anchor her back to reality. Will wished he had one.

Sighing, he attempted to pay attention to the lesson.

* * *

**A/N: **_There you have it: angsty Will, brought up by request. I don't know why people torture the Herondales, but now I've got a taste of it mwahaha. Review for the next chapter! :)_

_YOU GUYS DID YOU SEE THE ART BY CASSANDRA JEAN IT HAS SEBASTIAN/JONATHAN ON IT AND HE'S JUST LIKE HA YEAH I KILLED YOUR BOYFRIEND OR SOMETHING ALONG'S THOSE LINES AND I'M DYING INTERNALLY LIKE (it's probably not but WHAT IF) MAYBE IT'S CLACE OR MAYBE JORDAN/MAIA OR MAYBE SIZZY AND NO CASSIE, BAD CASSIE_

_*huff*_

_**Disclaimer**__: I don't own The Infernal Devices or anything else I have mentioned in this story._


	6. Taki's Diner: Part I

**Previously…**

_He looked over at Tessa, who was looking down awkwardly, one hand fiddling with the hem of her shirt, the other around her necklace. She gripped it as if it might save her life; anchor her back to reality. Will wished he had one._

_Sighing, he attempted to pay attention to the lesson._

* * *

The next day at school, Tessa tried to pretend that nothing happened.

Jessamine Lovelace approached her in the hallway with her group of girls behind her. They were smirking, and Tessa swallowed. _Oh, great._

"Tessa," Jessamine said. "So, how's school going for you so far?"

That was an odd question, for her.

She was startled. "Um. It's going good, I guess?"

Jessamine scowled. "Wrong answer. I will make it a living hell for you, do you hear me?" She got closer to Tessa and shadows swept across her face, making her look more menacing. Tessa nodded once and took a step back. Jessamine smirked.

_What did _I _ever do to _her_? _Tessa wondered.

"Don't think I don't know what you did. I'm watching you." She gave Tessa one last glare, and marched away, her heels making a tapping sound against the floor, only to be joined by more tapping sounds as the rest of her "friends" followed her.

Tessa was beyond confused, and she was sure it was evident on her face. Some people gave her some strange looks.

Cecily then walked toward her, smiling faintly. "What was that all about?" she asked.

"I have no idea," Tessa said blankly.

Cecily laughed softly. "Well, that's Jessamine for you." She shrugged. "Hey, after school, you want to join Will, Jem and I for sushi or something?"

This made Tessa's mood improve. She was glad that she could be friends with them in this foreign place. They seemed like genuinely nice people. "Sure. I'd love to go," Tessa responded casually.

Cecily grinned. "Great. You can ride with us there," she declared. "Well, I'm off to class. What's your first period?"

Tessa thought for a second, and then said, "Science."

Cecily nodded. "What teacher?"

"Um, Mr. Lightwood."

Cecily's nose scrunched up. "Oh, right. Yeah, Will told me that you're in that class with him."

Tessa began to pick up her pace in the hallways, and Cecily did the same to catch up with her. "Oh, did he now," Tessa said unfazed. "I'm sure he had a million nice things to say about _that_ matter."

Cecily didn't respond. Fortunately, their classes were near each other so Tessa wasn't delaying her or anything. The five-minute bell rang. She said a quick goodbye and went inside her science class, where Jem already was.

"Good morning, Tessa," he greeted cheerfully. His cheerfulness was contagious, and Tessa smiled at him and sat down graciously.

She gave a small bow of her head. "Morning. I'm not too late, am I?"

He shook his head. "Nope," he said. "Although Mr. Lightwood will probably not be here for another twenty minutes or so. I heard he's got a date."

Tessa giggled. "Gross." Jem nodded, laughing. "Did you know that if the teacher doesn't show up for the class for at least fifteen minutes, students are actually allowed to leave the class."

Jem's eyebrows rose and he looked suddenly very interested. "Really, now. We'll just have to wait and see." Tessa grinned.

* * *

"So what is this about the whole 'fifteen-minutes-and-you-can-leave' thing?" Will inquired, using his finger-quotes to emphasize.

Tessa shrugged. "Apparently, if your teacher doesn't show up for at least fifteen minutes, you're allowed to leave the class," she told him. "I don't know if it's allowed here, but it did work in America. We probably shouldn't test it out. Wouldn't want to risk anything."

Will bit his lip. "Probably not, but you never know if you don't try." A mischievous grin spread on his face. Tessa gulped, wondering whether she should've told them that or not. _Oops, _she thought.

**10 minutes later…**

"This is getting rather boring," Will commented.

Tessa rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you can think of something interesting to do."

"I brought a book." He showed her _Vathek_. Tessa tried as hard as she could not to talk in an endless conversation about it.

Instead, she looked at him expectantly. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

Tessa groaned mentally in frustration. "Aren't you going to _read _the book? If you brought it, you'd think you would actually read it. It seems to me you're just carrying it around to show it off."

Will smirked. "You're getting all worked up for nothing, my dear."

Tessa scowled. "_Don't. Call me._ _That._ How many times do I have to remind you?"

He looked satisfied. "As many times as I address you that way, Tess."

She leaned back into her chair, crossing her arms over her chest and let out a deep breath. "Unbelievable," Tessa muttered.

"As much as I hate to interrupt your bickering," Jem started, "I'm to inform you that it's been fifteen minutes already. You two fighting is a really good way to waste time." Will chuckled and Tessa rolled her eyes.

The three got up and left the classroom. Will opened his arms broadly, smiling widely, and said, "Well, friends, it's been nice knowing you all. I'm off to the wild." Jem slapped his arm. He feigned an offended look.

He started walking, but Jem grabbed his shirt sleeve and pulled him back. "No you don't," he said. "If we're doing this, then we're all in this together. Got it?" They nodded. "By the way, we've only got an hour, and we can't wander off too far in case Mr. Lightwood comes back."

"Yes, _Dad_," Will sighed.

"So," Tessa said slowly. "Where should we start?"

Will placed an arm against the wall, and leaned on it, smiling faintly at Tessa. She swallowed. "Perhaps we could go to the music room. No one's in that class in the morning, so the music teacher is most likely to be somewhere else. Jem plays violin, you know." She looked at Jem, who shrugged.

"Then I guess we can go there." She started walking forwards, smiling, and passing the two boys. "Well? Come along, boys." Tessa, with a grin, sauntered to the music room. Jem and Will exchanged a look, and then jogged to catch up to the girl.

* * *

"Whoa," Tessa murmured as she stepped inside the large music room. "You can have a gigantic orchestra in here." Her voice echoed.

"Well, actually…" Jem started.

Tessa interrupted him. "No. Don't tell me."

She walked toward the center of the room, and marveled at it. The instruments were put off in different sections, a grand piano by the windows. She ran her hands down the ivory keys, and saw the cellos and violins and violas. Music stands put in a corner and woodwinds such as clarinets and flutes in cases. Her feet clicked against the recently waxed bamboo flooring.

"Is this even a real place?" Her voice bounced across the walls.

Jem walked up by her side. "Yes, lovely place, isn't it?" She nodded, wrapping her fingers around her clockwork angel. The two boys must've noticed, because they looked at each other, a wave of curiosity spreading between the two. Tessa pretended she didn't see. Jem started walking toward the violins and picked one up carefully.

Meanwhile, Tessa stepped closer to Will. He said, "Your necklace. I've never seen one like it."

"Oh," she mumbled in surprise, "it was my mother's."

He raised an eyebrow. Looking at her curiously, he asked, "Was?"

Tessa looked down. Taking a deep breath, she responded, "She has, um, passed." She didn't like saying that about her mother, and she wished it wasn't true. Getting the hint, Will stayed silent, and sat down in a nearby chair. Tessa did the same, although keeping her distance.

Jem started playing. Tessa's mouth dropped slightly at the music that was played before her. It was sad and angsty, she thought, but as he kept playing, it became more…inspiring. It was like the first flower blossoming in the spring, after a cold, difficult winter. It was incredibly beautiful.

Tessa closed her eyes as the soft music continued playing, swaying slowly without realizing it. He played a song of loss, she realized. That though things can be painful, it will always get better in the end. Her mouth twitched up, and her lips turned up in a slow small smile.

With one final note, Jem ended the song, and Tessa's eyes flew open. "Wow," was all she could say. She started clapping and Will joined in with her. Jem scratched the back of his head and mocked a bow. Tessa giggled.

When the applause died down, they all looked at the clock, and their hour was almost up. "We'd best be getting to class," Jem said. Together, they all went down the twisted hallways and entered Mr. Lightwood's class. He _still_ wasn't there. They had been missing nothing at all. The class was talking to one another, far too busy to notice their arrival.

Tessa glanced up to look at the time, and it would be minutes until the next class. "Hey," she told the boys. "Start packing up."

Jem gave her a quizzical glance, and she pointed at the clock. He nodded, and followed her orders. Everyone else kept talking or going on their phones. Tessa looked from the corner of her eye and she saw two students making out, and some wannabe-emos glaring at some of the popular kids, who were oblivious to their glares and talking among themselves, gossiping and subtly pointing and some of the other students, snickering.

Tessa rolled her eyes.

The bell than rang and the other students began scrambling for their things, and Tessa, Will, and Jem left immediately, carrying on to their next class.

* * *

"So, we meet again," Cecily said once they sat down. "How was your first class?"

Tessa smiled, thinking back to recent memories of violins and pianos and cellos. "It was great," Tessa replied.

Cecily looked incredulous. "It was _great? _How so?"

Tessa shrugged. "Just was." She looked skeptical, but shrugged nonetheless and gave up the subject.

* * *

**After school…**

"_Will!" _Cecily shouted. "Oh, _William!"_

Will's book bag was slung over his shoulders. "What," he said flatly.

"It's fine if Tessa joins us for sushi, right?"

His eyes glanced momentarily at Tessa who bit her lip. "Sure, I suppose," he mumbled. Will sat in the driver's seat and Jem was at the passenger side. Cecily and Tessa sat in the back.

"So, Tessa," Jem said. "Lovely that you're joining us." Tessa smiled briefly, and Will turned on the car, which turned on the radio, which played rock music with the volume all the way up, scaring Tessa, Cecily, and Jem out of their wits.

"Oops," said Will flatly and bitterly. _Sheesh, _Tessa thought. He began driving, and everyone was silent for the whole ride.

* * *

The car screeched to a stop, throwing everyone forward in their seats. They stopped in front of a place called Taki's Diner.

Hmm.

"You sure this is the place?" Tessa asked. It didn't really look like a place that would serve sushi.

Will turned his head to look at her, an exasperated look on his face. "Yes, Tess, I am positive. They serve different varieties of food. Sushi included." Tessa nodded in understanding. At the moment, he looked like he was not to be messed with.

They walked together inside the restaurant, Cecily next to Tessa and Jem next to Will. "The food here is _really_ good," Cecily explained. "Trust me. You'll love it."

"I hope so," Tessa told her. Cecily pulled on the door, and Tessa was greeted at a modernized-looking restaurant. There was a buffet, apparently, and different areas like Chinese and Japanese and Mexican food and things like that. Tessa was impressed.

"Hello," the waitress grinned. It looked like it hurt. "My name is Kaelie. How many are—"

"Four," Will interrupted. A sly smile inched on Kaelie's face as she looked at Will, who winked at her. Cecily gagged and Tessa chuckled.

Kaelie stood closer to Will, and said, "Follow me," and gestured for the rest of the group to do so. She moved across the room to a place by the windows, to a booth. They sat down and was handed menus.

Cecily whispered to Tessa, "She and Will kind of had…a thing going on. I'm sure you've heard of his 'reputation.'" Tessa grimaced. She didn't even want to think of _what _it was about since she's heard much about it already in the locker rooms, so she just left it at that.

Tessa held up her menu and looked at the options. Her eyes settled on the Japanese portion and she decided on miso soup and California rolls. Kaelie came by with water and Tessa didn't even want to look at her because of said conversation in the locker rooms.

"You know, Kaelie," Will said, "I think we're all ready to order."

* * *

**A/N: **_**OKAY, I KNOW THIS IS A REALLY REALLY STUPID PLACE TO LEAVE OFF, BUT I'M EXHAUSTED AND I NEED TO WRITE AN ESSAY AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A PART II SO YEAH.**_

_Forgive me for not updating because I've had a huge case of writers block. So I'm very sorry._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything mentioned in this story. _


	7. Taki's Diner: Part II

**Previously…**

_Tessa held up her menu and looked at the options. Her eyes settled on the Japanese portion and she decided on miso soup and California rolls. Kaelie came by with water and Tessa didn't even want to look at her because of said conversation in the locker rooms. _

"_You know, Kaelie," Will said, "I think we're all ready to order."_

* * *

"Alright, then," she said, pulling out of her small notepad and a pen.

"We'll take the tempura—" he started.

Kaelie interrupted, "The shrimp or vegetable?"

"Both. Like, three orders of miso soup—"

"And I," Tessa said.

Will glanced over at her, and then blinked. "Um, right. Four orders, then. Then we'll have one order of edamame and…" He looked at Tessa.

"Oh! Um, I'll have an order of California rolls." She scratched her arm anxiously. She hated talking to waitresses and stuff. She was too shy, and had to ask everyone else to do it for her.

"I'll take a bento box," Cecily said, "with the teriyaki chicken."

"I'll have what she's having," said Jem, nodding his head at Cecily.

Will spoke, "Mm, I'll take an order of California rolls." Kaelie nodded with a smile and walked off. Tessa let out a breath.

Then it became awkward. Tessa was really hoping that it wouldn't come to this, and now was the moment she had been dreading. She _hated_ awkward silences. It was bad enough that she couldn't talk to anyone anymore. At her old school, she knew more people then, of course, but now at this new school—well, let's just say that Tessa isn't exactly a social butterfly.

Jem coughed for a moment, and Will actually looked…_concerned? _Will…concerned… Do those words even go together?

Jem raised up his hand briefly and shook his head, and Will bit his lip, inching away.

Tessa wondered what that was about. Being the person that's curious about everything, she was going to soon enough.

Cecily cleared her throat, and Tessa was grateful knowing that she was about to speak. "So, you guys. How is life?"

There were murmurs of 'good, good' around the table, except Will who said flatly, "I don't care."

Tessa couldn't help herself. "Sheesh, Will, what has gotten into you? One moment, you're normal, and now you're just all grumpy. What's your problem?"

Was it just Tessa, or did everyone besides Will look suddenly entertained?

He was silent for a moment, and she had begun to think that he wasn't going to answer, although the moment she turned her head, he said, "What's _my _problem? What's _your _problem? Actually, don't answer that, because I'd be glad to tell you, if you'd like."

"You know what? Why don't you just go right on ahead! Be my guest!" she exclaimed, trying to be quiet. Why does this always end up happening to the both of them?

Will scowled, and he looked like he was about to pound his fist against the table. "Well, first of all, you let your curiosity get the best of you. Second, you don't mind getting in everyone's business because _clearly_ that isn't an issue for you. You don't think that maybe some people just want to be left _alone_. Lastly, you're so bloody persistent! Like, what if I just want to be quiet for a second? Oh, no, that can't happen because Tessa thinks that there's something going on with them, and she just absolutely _has_ to know. Dear God, Tessa. You just _met_ us. Don't expect us to tell you everything about ourselves the moment we first meet you."

Tessa's mouth had dropped mid-sentence, and her face was red from anger. How _dare_ he. That was no way to speak to a lady. That was for sure. She stood up and stormed off to the bathroom silently, although still fuming. She had so many words that she could've said then, but remained silent. She didn't want to speak. At all. She was really considering not talking for the rest of her life.

Once in the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror, and she had loose strands hanging in the front from her ponytail. She pushed them back and turned on the faucet. Tessa splashed water on her face to cool her down. Then she froze.

Tessa had a sudden realization.

If this is how Will and Tessa were always going to act…

How would they be at the dinner on Friday?

Surely, he'd be a bit more polite, considering his parents would be there. But then again…

Tessa sighed, and her face's color was restored to normal. She leaned against the wall, shutting her eyes, searching for some sort of peace. She ran her fingers through the loose strands of her hair, and just waited for a few moments.

She took a sharp breath, and opened the door, where Cecily Herondale already was. She froze and her eyes were wide. "I am_ so, _so sorry for Will. I didn't mean for him to—"

"Relax, Cecy," Tessa interrupted. "It's cool. I just…needed someone to tell me that."

Cecily still looked concerned. "Are you sure?" she questioned. "Because I can kill him if I need to."

"Don't kill him," Tessa told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Just wait until the dinner." Cecily laughed, and they walked back together to the booths. "Thanks for coming, by the way. It would've been kind of embarrassing if I just came back here by myself." She smiled in reply, and gave a shrug that said 'that's what friends are for'.

And for that, Tessa was grateful.

"Hey," Cecily said to Jem and Will. He was eyes were half-lidded, looking careless. It made Tessa want to slap him. Jem looked at Tessa and gave her an apologetic look, and she waved it off.

Kaelie had already delivered the food, and Tessa got her soy sauce ready so she could dip her California rolls into it. The food was amazing, Tessa thought. She almost moaned because of the heavenly taste, but Will and Jem and Cecily were there, so that would've been slightly embarrassing. She had some edamame, took a shrimp tempura and a vegetable of some sort.

In the end, Tessa offered to pay for her portion which none of them accepted. Cecily and Jem's eyes were wild as they shook their heads and nearly shouted, "NO, NO!"

"The guest shall _never_ pay for the meal," Cecily said. "It's like, law."

"Respect the law, Tess," Will joked. Where did that come from? Oh, never mind. He clearly just wanted to get on her nerves, and she wouldn't let him. She just rolled her gray eyes and carried on.

Jem asked for the bill when Kaelie came by to check on them, and so she went and then gave it to him. Meanwhile, Tessa reached for her phone, suddenly realizing that she never told her brother that she was going out. _Uh-oh,_ she thought with her eyes squeezed shut. She opened them and began to type out her text.

'_Nate, I'm so so sorry! I went out for sushi with my friends. Sorry I didn't tell you. –Tessa'_

He replied moments later:

'_It's fine.'_

Tessa breathed out a sigh of relief.

'_That doesn't excuse you from getting yelled at though.'_

She groaned.

Then she typed out another text.

'_Sorry. I'm coming home though. I'll see you soon.'_

'_See you soon, then.'_

And that was the end of her texting days with her brother.

"Who're you texting?" A voice asked. Tessa jumped, and turned around to see that it was Jem. His hands were in his pockets, probably because of the cold weather. She didn't think she'd ever get used to it.

Her hair was blowing all over the place, and she was struggling to keep it down. "Just my brother," she said simply. He then gave a half-nod.

After a few moments of silence, he said, "I'm really sorry for Will. He can just be…well, moody."

Tessa bit her lip. "I don't see why you guys keep apologizing for him, though. Don't you think that he should be the one to do it?"

"Of course. But he never does it."

That quieted her.

They all got in the car, and drove home.

* * *

**A/N: **_Bit of a short chapter for you all. Hope you all have a lovely day..._

_Review for the next chapter! Can we get to forty? :)_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this chapter. I own nothing. _


	8. Chapter 8

**Previously…**

_After a few moments of silence, he said, "I'm really sorry for Will. He can just be…well, moody."_

_Tessa bit her lip. "I don't see why you guys keep apologizing for him, though. Don't you think that he should be the one to do it?"_

"_Of course. But he never does it."_

_That quieted her. _

_They all got in the car, and drove home._

* * *

Will shook his head, lowering his hand away from the doorbell._ I'm such an idiot, _he thought. Why was he doing this? No, he needed to back away. It wasn't safe for her.

He didn't like being even more rude than he already was—he _knew _he was. He felt bad for Tessa, and all the anger he had put her through. He had felt guilty enough when Cecily and surprisingly, Jem, had yelled at him at Taki's about the whole mishap. They told him sternly as if they were his parents that he ought to apologize and somehow make it up to her if he wouldn't.

He wanted to, but at the same time, he couldn't.

That stupid curse had put an end to those days.

It was all proven when Ella had—

Never mind that. Cecily was going to force him to apologize to Tessa. He grimaced. It's not that he didn't like the gray-eyed girl. No, he liked her. But he didn't like the idea of her, well, 'going away.' She amused him, in all actuality. While the other girls seemed to fawn over him, she didn't seem to. She instead shouted at him with all the anger she could muster up and used sarcasm and the like.

And it amused him.

It was surprising, though, at first. And it's currently surprising how Cecily wants to be like best friends with her or something. When it seemed that Tessa wanted to be her friend as well, it occurred to Will that now he'd probably be seeing her even _more_ than usual, which was already a lot, considering they are neighbors and schoolmates, et cetera.

But he might as well act at least a bit friendlier towards her. After all, he still needs to apologize for his behavior towards her yesterday.

_Speaking_ of yesterday, his day was going well until stupid Jessamine had decided to try to feel him up and completely ruined his day. Ugh. How disturbing. And also, when he thought of this whole 'curse' thing that had turned out to be real. He couldn't even elaborate why he's being so cruel to others, for if he even mentions it, well, let's just say that he's under watch.

Which is why he looked back hesitantly before turning back to face Tessa's door. He gulped, and his heart started to pound. Why was he nervous? He wasn't going to do anything _that_ special.

"Oh, what the hell," he murmured softly as he rang the doorbell. He waited patiently, deciding that if her brother were to answer the door instead, he would say that it was the wrong house and just run away or something.

He really needed to improve on his improvising.

But alas, Tessa Gray opened the door, her eyes bright and young and vulnerable as a child's. Her hair was up in a bun as usual with loose strands hanging in the front, framing her face. She wore a creamy-colored cardigan over a white tank top and dark jeans, with gray wool boots. She had some light green paint on her cheek and a bit on her nose. Will almost smiled.

Tessa tilted her head slightly and her eyebrows were furrowed. "Hi… Um, what are you doing here?" she asked warily, her voice shaking a little.

Will ignored her question. "So what have you been painting?"

She didn't seem fazed by this. "The guest room…" she said. He entered her house without her permission and looked around. "What are you—?"

Will's blue eyes wandered around the new house from its walls to the couch and TV and kitchen. He looked impressed. "Nice job you've done with the place," he commented.

Tessa responded, "Thank you, I guess…"

"Well," Will started, "now that I've broke into your home, I would like to ask you something."

Tessa's eyebrows rose. "Oh, really now?"

"Mmm, yes. How about you and I—"

He was cut off by Tessa, who was smirking. "Mr. Herondale, it appears to me you are asking me out on a date."

He took a lazy, swinging step, making a tapping noise against the cherry wood flooring. "Does it," he said, not looking at Tessa but at the floor.

"Well, how about you finish that sentence before I draw conclusions. Sorry," she said.

He shrugged. "I suppose I should state this a bit more formally." He fixed his hair, and Tessa smirked. She giggled when he swung off his coat and slung it over his arm, and bowed. "Miss Gray," he said, grinning. "Would you like to accompany me in the act of getting coffee and scones?"

Tessa covered her mouth with her hand mockingly, feigning a shocked expression. "Mr. Herondale, as astonished as I am at your asking, I'm afraid that I must decline."

Will didn't expect that. This was new, and his hasn't happened before. Technically, it wasn't even a date. It was just a '_hey!_-I-kind-of-hurt-your-feelings-so-let's-have-coffee ' kind of thing. He didn't like this. He wasn't used to this. "Are you rejecting me?" He asked in his best Mr. Darcy voice. She tried not to smile.

Tessa took a step, and then walked lazily in circles. "I'm painting the guest room, remember?"

"Then let me help you," Will blurted out, not knowing where that came from. Tessa stopped and looked incredulous. He was a bit as well.

"Are you sure?" Tessa inquired, unsure. She crossed her arms. Will stood for a moment, but then nodded his head slowly. She let her arms free. "Well, um. Okay. I guess we should get started. I have some aprons you could use…"

"It's fine," he said, waving her off. Tessa sighed and grabbed one for her which was covered in paint.

They walked up the claustrophobic staircase. Tessa picked up her pace so she was almost jogging up. Once they reached the last step, they were greeted by the loft. It was casually designed with the walls white and the large windows making them look pristine. There was a black bookshelf there filled with books—probably some for just reading by the chair by the window or something.

Tessa grabbed Will's hand (he'd be lying if he said he didn't suddenly feel nervous) and lead him to the mysterious guest room, as Will liked to mentally call it. It was so far empty, he observed. There was some paint smeared on the walls, but it wasn't completely finished. He saw that she had not just the lime green like the one he saw on her face, but other colors like lavender and light blue. The light blue was the same as the one in the living room. He didn't know what the lavender was about, but he knew that lime green and lavender wouldn't be one of the best choices you could make for a room.

"So," Will said. "Where do we start?"

Tessa picked up a paint roller. "Here," She handed it to him. "You're tall. Get the highest areas. When you're done and don't know what to do, just finish one of the walls."

"Sounds simple enough," he told her as he spun the paint roller between his hands.

"Then why don't you get started?" Tessa said, a sly smile on her mouth. Will gulped. She spun around gracefully and started working on the wall in front of her. He just stood there. "Well?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, sorry." He scratched the back of his head. What was happening to him? He's never acted like this before.

He gripped the paint roller tighter and dipped it into the lime green paint. He took it out and quickly placed it on the wall, and started rolling it up and down and side to side. Will got the highest places and Tessa got lower ones.

She started working on the same wall as him and he reached up and worked down. They watched as the once white walls transformed into a completely different shade—lime green. He dipped the paint roller into the bucket of the paint again and swung it unto the wall.

"_Will!" _Tessa shouted angrily, stood up, and slapped his shoulder. She had a blob of green paint in her hair, dripping down.

His eyes were wide. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to—I really didn't, I mean I just tried getting it on to the walls but it got in you—hair, and now you're mad and I'm sorry I didn't mean to and—"

Tessa looked indignant, but he saw a flash of mirth in her eyes. "Dear goodness, Will, breathe."

"Sorry."

They silently continued painting the final wall that stood before them. It glowed white and the two were determined to eradicate it of its blank color.

Although white isn't technically a color.

The two began to paint it once more, and things were going well and smoothly. That is, until Tessa had decided to throw paint at Will. "Tessa! What the f—!"

"They lie when they say revenge isn't sweet." She grinned up at him. She was on her knees and he was towering over her, although she seemed to win this round.

The paint had gotten on his chest to his neck, and even some parts of his face. "Oh, you're going to get it now," he said roughly as he flung lavender paint at her, thankfully missing the wall.

"Will!" She laughed. The lavender hung from the loose ends of the hair that was coming out of her bun. She chucked the pale blue at him, the paint splattering all over his white shirt.

They began to engage in a paint war. Paint coming one after the other. They were laughing and grinning and scowling and were indignant to gleeful. It was the most fun they've ever had.

In the end, both Tessa and Will were soaked in paint from literally head to toe. They were sitting in the center of the floor, back against back, bodies shaking as they continued laughing from giddiness from the whole event. The back of their heads pressed against each other and they sighed in contentment.

"You know, it's rather fortunate that none of the paint got on the walls," Tessa told him.

He groaned. "That would've been unbearable." Tessa nodded her head in agreement.

After a moment of silence, Tessa spoke up. "Well, thanks for helping me with this. It would've taken forever, otherwise." He said nothing. "I'll go get us some towels." She stood up and he watched as she left the room.

* * *

"Here you go," she said, handing a brown towel to him.

"Are you sure? It'll get all messy," he protested.

Tessa didn't look like she cared. "Oh well, then, right?"

They attempted getting some of the paint out, but of course, not all. This was a job for the showers, for the paint was already drying. They rubbed the towel against their skin and the paint smeared, very little coming off. Tessa pursed her lips and Will gave her a look that said '_what can you do?_' She smiled and gave up on the towels.

They walked downstairs and Will took his jacket, and then they approached the door. Tessa grabbed the keys and swung the door open. She let Will go first and then she took a step out herself, shutting and then locking the door.

Will and Tessa walked across the street silently, a faint smile on both of their faces. Will shoved his hands in his pocket in his jeans. It was freezing outside. Their paint-soaked clothes didn't really help in their case.

They stopped outside of his door, and they grinned at each other. "That was fun," Tessa said.

"Yeah." He said, fiddling with his hands. "It was."

"Thanks again for helping with the painting."

"It was nothing."

"Not to me."

He was about to say something, but the door opened and revealed a shocked Cecily. "Will! Tessa! What _happened_ to you guys?!"

Tessa tried to hide her smile. "Long story," Will told her.

"I bet," Cecily's blue eyes, fairly similar to Will's, inspected the two. "Hmm."

Tessa looked back at her house briefly. "Well, it was good seeing you, Cecily. Good seeing you Will." They nodded slightly. Tessa began to walk off, gave a little wave, and headed back to her house.

"Hit the showers," Cecily said immediately in a low voice. Will grinned at her, and entered the house.

* * *

**A/N: **_Yay for Wessa-ness! :D I haven't posted Will's POV in a while, so here you have it. Okay, I had this thought last night. So I was watching a Tinker Bell movie last night (don't ask) and then I thought, _This is obviously Tinker Bell's life earlier…but what if the **last **Tinker Bell movie is how she meets Peter Pan?! _Then I got really excited and happy because I really wanted that to happen and I just started _craving _it. Like, haven't you ever wondered how they met? _

_But yeah._

_Thank you all for reviewing! We got forty+, so here's some Wessa for you all. Or Tessiam. Or whatever you want to call it. _

_Can we get fifty? Xx._

_Have a lovely day :)_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this. I own nothing, just the idea._


	9. Chapter 9

**Previously…**

_He was about to say something, but the door opened and revealed a shocked Cecily. "Will! Tessa! What__happened__to you guys?!"_

_Tessa tried to hide her smile. "Long story," Will told her._

_"I bet," Cecily's blue eyes, fairly similar to Will's, inspected the two. "Hmm."_

_Tessa looked back at her house briefly. "Well, it was good seeing you, Cecily. Good seeing you Will." They nodded slightly. Tessa began to walk off, gave a little wave, and headed back to her house._

_"Hit the showers," Cecily said immediately in a low voice. Will grinned at her, and entered the house._

* * *

Only one more day until the dinner, Tessa realized. After yesterday's events, Will proved himself somewhat. Instead of being the harsh jerk he can be, he was actually sort of fun, and nice. This was different. And a little suspicious. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but Tessa couldn't help but think so after everything.

"Good morning, Nate," Tessa greeted.

"Morning, Sister." He nodded his head in her direction.

"So," she started, "what shall we have for breakfast? I was thinking waffles."

He grinned. "Waffles are good."

"Yes, yes, indeed."

As Tessa got what she needed to make it, her brother turned on the TV to some shows. She liked watching BBC shows, especially.

"Nate, what would you like to drink: water, or orange juice, or…?"

He bit his lip, then said, "Water, I suppose."

"Water it is, then."

She grabbed a glass for him, and filled it up with water and some ice. She opened the waffle-maker after a while and carefully put one on a plate, putting syrup over it. She handed it to Nate, and started making one for herself.

Tessa's phone buzzed, and she brightened. She picked up, and read what it said. It was from Cecily. **Good morning. Are you ready for another dreadful day at school? **Tessa grinned.

**I should hope so**, Tessa replied.

Cecily asked, **Is it alright if I come over? Even if it is horrifyingly early? **

**Yeah. It's fine. You're welcome to come over any time you want, you know.**

_It's not like I have parents who would get mad at me, anyway, _Tessa thought terribly.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Tessa took out the waffle out of the machine and set it on a plate first, though. Then she ran over to the door and was greeted by a blue-eyed Herondale with a phone in her hand. "Hello," Cecily grinned.

Tessa raised an eyebrow. "That was fast."

"Yes, certainly." She nodded. "May I come in?" Tessa nodded, smiling, and let her in.

"I'm making waffles, do you want one?" Cecily looked over at what she was making, then nodded and mumbled a "sure."

Tessa put the batter in the machine once more, but then widened her eyes in realization. "Oh! This is my brother, Nathaniel Gray. I don't think you two have _properly_ met." _He was drunk at the time_, although she didn't add that. That would've been very rude. "Nate, this is my friend Cecily Herondale." They nodded their heads at each other.

Cecily sat down at the kitchen table, twiddling with her thumbs. "William's out there so we've got to be fast. I was wondering if you'd like to ride to school with us. Jem's there too."

Tessa was walking to get a drink of water for her friend but then stopped in her tracks. "Oh. Oh, um. I suppose… Nate, you don't mind if I ride with friends to school instead of you taking me?"

Nate turned his head to look at her. He was still sitting on the couch, watching TV. "Oh, yeah. Sure." Tessa smiled and then nodded her head at Cecily.

Tessa then prepared the breakfast for Cecily and put it on a plate. She brought it over to her with a fork and later put the syrup next to it in case she wanted it. They ate their breakfast in silence, watching the TV shows their brother was watching. He was watching the news, and there was a tragic story about a kid getting ran over by a car. They were all frowning.

"_As it turns out, the driver just so happened to be intoxicated. Sources say that he is at a hospital at the moment, in a coma."_

Tessa shivered, and asked her brother if they could watch something else. He quickly changed it and was not hesitant. He changed it and the screen showed swimmers diving into the pool. Tessa had finished her breakfast and brought it back to the kitchen, putting it in the sink for her brother to do later. She grabbed her cup and refilled it with water, and took a large sip, finishing it.

Cecily then finished hers and Tessa did the same thing she did with her plate. "Okay, let's go," Cecily said as Tessa shrugged on a black Aeropostale jacket she had bought before she moved to London, and swung her book bag over her shoulder. She opened the door, shouting a bye to her brother and leaving with Cecily.

"Cecy, hurry up," Will said, tapping his thumbs against the steering wheel. Tessa caught his dark blue eyes, and he immediately glanced away. She took a deep breath, and let it out to calm her frustration.

Jem opened the car door and opened it for Tessa. She grinned at him, and he bowed mockingly. She stepped inside and took a seat, and Cecily sat next to Will in the front. He turned on the radio.

Tessa looked out the car window and shut her eyes. She was so tired. She yawned, covering her mouth. Will smirked at her from the rear-view mirror. "Tired, Tess?"

"Perhaps. Although I don't see why that concerns you in any way," she retorted, wiping away the tears the yawn has left behind. She hated when that happened though. Like, sometimes she'll yawn in class and people would ask, "_Are you _crying?" She would reply that she just simply yawned. It can be kind of annoying, though.

"You guys are so entertaining." Cecily was smiling in amusement. Jem chuckled, and Tessa huffed.

Will told them coolly, "I'm so glad we amuse you." Even though he said it quite cruelly, Tessa couldn't help but agree with Will, for once. They both held defiant expressions.

Cecily held up her hands in surrender. "Goodness. You know, you two could seriously wreak havoc among others if you stick together. You can both be pretty scary." Tessa snorted. "I can see it now – the school fearing your presence, as well as teachers." Cecily caught herself and thought about it for a moment.

She then said, "You know, that's actually not a bad idea. Will could scare teachers to the point where they don't give you homework. Tessa could beat up little kids in an alley near—"

Tessa held up a hand. "Wait, _what_? If anything, I think Will would be the one to beat up little kids in an—" She was caught off by Cecily and Jem's laughter. Will was grinning.

"Cecily could perform animal sacrifices to get better grades on tests," Jem murmured, earning a hit from Cecily on the knee.

Cecily was scowling. "Yes, and Jem could be the one who doesn't get involved and fails school because we're all too advanced for his level."

Jem raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're the one who's performing animal sacrifices—"

Tessa really tried not to laugh. "How did it turn from me and Will scaring the school to _this_?" Tessa voiced her thoughts aloud, although Cecily and Jem were still arguing about the subject.

Will threw a lopsided grin at her, and her heart fluttered. "I feel your pain, Tess. How could they turn the subject from something as breathtaking as _us _to something as foolish as what they are saying? Seriously. It's so offending." Tessa laughed at his words. Then she realized that he pretty much called her breathtaking. She swallowed.

When Will pulled to a stop to park in the school parking lot, Jem had opened the door for Tessa again, and shot a glare at Cecily, making Tessa giggle. Cecily was scowling again, for she had noticed (nothing bypasses Cecily Herondale) and begun throwing a string of curses at him.

When she was done, they had entered the school and she smacked Jem, who laughed. Soon, a crowd began forming around them. Tessa was puzzled. Did this always happen with them? She knew they were popular, but enough to form a crowd? Well…

Tessa spotted some girls giggling and whispering Will and Jem's name, although '_William Herondale' _was being thrown around much more. Tessa clenched her jaw, and took a step closer to him, and their sides were touching. Will was surprised, although said nothing. Girls began hissing at her, but she rolled her eyes. _Girls,_ she thought mentally. Then realizing what she thought, she smacked herself mentally, then she began having this whole argument with herself and was unaware she was starting to look angry to hurt, until Jem questioned her about it.

"What are you doing?" he asked, clearly amused.

Tessa snapped out of it, and then shook her head. "I don't even know anymore." He looked down and chuckled, then began engaging in conversation with Will.

"Come with me to my locker?" Tessa asked Cecily, looking hopeful. She nodded with a "yeah, sure." Tessa looked at her little slip of paper that read her locker combo, and she tested it out on the locker. She didn't think she would ever memorize it.

Sometimes she would enter her old combination, and it embarrassed her slightly.

The lock tightened and Tessa looked satisfied. She opened it and began grabbing some books that she needed for a class and some notebooks. When she closed the door, Jessamine Lovelace was standing there with two of her 'friends' next to her.

"_What _do you think you're doing?" Jessamine sneered.

Tessa tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Jessamine scoffed. "Don't act like you don't know—oh! Um. Hello, Cecily." She then looked really nervous and did a slight curtsy at the two and hurriedly walked out of sight.

After a few seconds, Cecily then commented, "Well that was…weird."

"You could say that."

Tessa spun around her heel and grabbed Cecily's wrist gently, and they walked to their nearby classes. They said a quick goodbye, and Tessa entered Mr. Benedict Lightwood's classroom. He was _actually there_, she noticed. Jem was already there.

"Hello, James," Tessa said lightly.

He smiled broadly. "Am I to call you Theresa now?"

Tessa wrinkled her nose. "Oh, no. Please."

Then she said, "I noticed that our teacher's finally here."

"Ah, yes. Now we can receive education."

"Hooray," Tessa said flatly, although she was sort of relieved that she can now be _taught._ "Where's Will?"

Jem then gave her a dark look, and Tessa raised an eyebrow. He told her that they were by the bathrooms. If she weren't a naturally curious person, she wouldn't have gone to check. Although she is. So she went, and she couldn't believe what she saw.

Oh, she thought when she spotted him. _Oh._

There he was with Jessamine Lovelace. Her legs were straddled around his waist, and he was pressing her against the wall. Her fingers were entangled in his inky locks and they were kissing passionately. She was moaning wildly, although he was not. The sight angered Tessa, so she marched right back to the classroom.

She coughed. "Well, um."

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his neck. "I don't even think they're dating. He does that to girls often, although beyond that—I assume you've heard. Anyway, she says they're dating and gets really possessive of him. They don't hang out, so I don't really see why she feels the need to do so. Only at school though." Tessa nodded. She was glad to know that Jem felt that it was okay to talk to her about this, even though they barely knew each other.

"What a jerk." The words slipped out of Tessa's lips. She covered her mouth, and began apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it like that. I'm so so sorry!" They were best friends, Jem and Will. She shouldn't be talking about Jem's best friend behind his back _to_ his best friend.

He smiled sadly at her. "It's fine. He can be sometimes. I wish he'd stop." Jem then looked out the door to see if Will's coming back. "He does it because…well, because he feels lonely."

"Lonely," Tessa echoed. "Why would he feel lonely?"

Jem ran a hand through his hair. "His parents. Cecily and Will basically had to raise themselves. They're never there, and when they are, they don't give him much attention. And…his sister."

"Cecily?"

He shook his head. "No. His oldest sister. Ella Herondale. She's…gone, I suppose you could say."

"Oh," was all Tessa could say. She felt sorry, then, for him. She took back each bad thought she had about him. She felt guilty. Even though she was slightly angered when he entered the class with a smirk and swollen lips, she felt guilty.

Tessa shook her head and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and began paying attention to Mr. Lightwood once the bell rang.

* * *

**A/N: **_Sorry for not updating! I've been writing another story and it's 4000+ words so far (and it's the first chapter) and I'm not sure if I should post it. Like I kind of want it to be like Mara Dyer's experience at Croyden without all the weirdness and creepiness going on with Jude and Claire and Rachel and—NEVER MIND. (I want The Retribution of Mara Dyer so bad. There's not much fanfiction and my feels *sobs*)_

_Anyway. Thank you all for 52 reviews! They're all greatly appreciated :D_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story. I own literally nothing, okay._


	10. Dinner

**Previously…**

_Tessa shook her head and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and began paying attention to Mr. Lightwood once the bell rang._

* * *

Tessa didn't know what to wear.

She searched her closet repeatedly to find something decent to wear at the dinner later that night. She didn't know if she'd have to dress casually or wear something as if she was going to dine with royalty. Sighing, Tessa frustratingly picked up her phone and texted Cecily. It was ten in the morning, so there was a very good chance that she would be up.

**Cecily,** Tessa typed out, **how should I dress? Formally, or casually?**

No answer. This was peculiar, considering Cecily usually texted back almost immediately.

When she had (finally) received a text back, it said, _How about nothing at all ;) –Will _

Tessa stood horrified. She shivered, and suddenly, a picture of a certain Jessamine Lovelace gripping the hair of a certain William Herondale made her want to throw up.

**Screw you, Will. **Her fists were clenched. **What are you doing on Cecily's phone anyway?**

_She's doing some last minute girl stuff or whatever. She left her phone here and it so rudely interrupted me doing nothing._

Tessa snorted.

**Sorry to have interrupt you, then. It'll be *such* a pleasant experience seeing you in a few hours, you know.**

_It's always a pleasant experience with me, darling. _

Tessa scoffed.

_I can literally hear you rolling your eyes, Tess._

**You must know me very well then.**

_Perhaps. But you know it's true *wink*_

**Ugh, don't do that. It's vaguely pedophilic.**

_You're so entertaining._

**Good to know. Bye, Will.**

_Was it something I said?_

**No. It was everything. Have Cecily call me when she gets back. I'll see you later xx**

_Later, Tess xxx :D_

**Screw you**, she texted when she saw the third 'x'. She shivered. **Now leave me alone.**

_For now._

**In your dreams, Herondale.**

_Oh, yes, my ever so pleasant dreams. You're actually nice there, you know._

Tessa stared at the last text, blinking, trying to make sense of it. _"What?" _

**What?**

Does he _dream_ about her? Is that what he was saying?

_What? _Will texted.

**Will. Ugh. Never mind.**

_Alright, then. Bye Tessa…_

**Bye. **

_Actually, I'm not saying bye_

**Shame.**

_Because Cecily just got here._

**PUT HER ON THE PHONE NOW YOU ASSHOLE. **

_Goodness, Tessa, language._

**I am mentally punching you right now.**

_Oh, is that so? Anything else that you want to mention? You know—that you mentally do to me._

**PUT CECILY ON THE PHONE NOW OR I WILL GO OVER TO YOUR HOUSE AND MURDER YOU.**

_But wouldn't you rather come over for different reasons? Good luck. Here's Cecy._

Tessa breathed out a sigh of relief when her phone starting ringing, and had Cecily's face on it. Thank God, she thought as she pressed answer. _"Hello?"_ Cecily asked.

"Cecily," Tessa started, "I can't decide what to wear for the dinner. Should I do casual or formal?"

"_Formal_," Cecily said immediately. "_It's my parents. It's always formal with my parents_."

Tessa nodded. "Okay, then. Formal it is."

"_Do you want me to come over and help you?"_ she asked with a hint of a Welsh accent hidden in her voice.

Even though Tessa said, "Oh, sure, but you don't have to…" she desperately wanted her to.

"_Okay. I'll be over in like five seconds. I'll run."_

"_Can I go?" _Tessa heard Will say jokingly. She rolled her eyes. She heard a slapping noise and a sharp "_Ow!"_ Tessa laughed as Will complained about his soon-to-bruise face.

Cecily was giggling. "_See you in a few, Tess."_

"_Hey! That's MY nickname for her!" _Is it possible to hear someone glaring from another house?

"_Whatever, Will."_

Cecily then hung up. Oh, Will. What was Tessa going to have to do with him. Shaking her head, Tessa opened the doors to her closet and looked at all the clothing she had brought with her. She had a few dresses. There was a couple that was the sort of thing for the situation, but _which one_? What shoes? What hairstyle and what makeup? Tessa let out a groan of frustration and the doorbell rang.

She ran down the stairs and nearly jumped at the door. She calmly opened it to reveal a determined set of blue eyes that marched inside while swinging the door shut. She nodded in acknowledgement to Tessa and they walked up the claustrophobic staircase. When they made it to the top, Cecily's gaze lingered on the loft before making her way to Tessa's room, where the closet doors were open in which the dresses inhabited.

"This one!" Cecily pointed immediately. "This one."

That was fast. It was a dress that went mid-thigh and extended out slightly below the waist. The dress was black with a cerulean bow slightly above the waist. It was silky and was sleeveless, and much to Tessa's discomfort, it would also reveal just a bit of cleavage. Tessa made a noise from the back of her throat.

"It's cute," Cecily told her. "And it's perfect to wear for this sort of occasion."

"It's too revealing," Tessa said, skeptical of her friend's decision.

Cecily huffed. "Who cares? It's not like boys will be there besides my dad, who is married to _my mother_. You have nothing to worry about."

Tessa coughed, casually saying _Will Herondale_ between the second cough.

Cecily bit her lip. "I'll keep an eye on him. Don't worry Tessa." She nodded, but still unsure. "Those white heels would be great, by the way. Now change, then I'll start working on your hair. Onward, then."

* * *

Tessa looked in the mirror and gasped. This lady certainly wasn't her. She was too beautiful. Although it had taken a very long time, Cecily had managed to give Tessa side-sweep bangs, curled her hair and tied it up with a very thin band matching her hair color, putting the hair to the side. "Oh, Cecily." Her hair looked like something a model would have at one of her shows. "It's gorgeous. Thank you."

Not only had her hair look gorgeous, the dress on her wasn't at all too tight or too lose, which made Tessa very pleased. It clung on to her body just right, showing off her curves. The high heels were simple. She was already tall, but didn't improve her height substantially. Cecily had done her nails as well, and they were painted blue like the ribbon on her dress.

"Stand still," Cecily mumbled quietly. Tessa did as she said. Cecily's hand inched towards her face and warned, "This may hurt a bit." Tessa yelped quietly as she began plucking the eyebrow. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from doing so.

Next, Cecy had moved on to makeup, putting on a little bit of foundation and concealer after moisturizing her face. She did everything—from eyeliner and eye shadow to blush to a rose color of lipstick and lip gloss.

Tessa didn't recognize herself at all when Cecily was done. She wrapped her arms around her and said, "Thank you, Cecily. Really."

She waved a hand off, as if it didn't matter. "It was nothing. I got to go do myself, now. I've only got an hour left. Later, Tessa."

She left the room, and Tessa sighed dreamily. When her brother came down after a while, he froze. "Who are you, and what have you done to my younger sister?"

Tessa giggled. "Hello, Nathaniel," she said stiffly, curtsying. He laughed.

"So, are you going to the prom or something?" Both of his eyebrows shot up.

Tessa shook her head carefully. "No. I told you—dinner with the Herondales, remember?"

Nate eyed her. "Hm. Are there going to be any boys there?"

Tessa sighed and clenched her jaw. "It's not like it's a party, Nate. It's dinner. With the Herondales. Who are living across the street. You know, them."

"Oh, hush." He grinned, grabbing an apple and throwing it occasionally. "Anyways, I'm going to be the good big brother here and say that you look gorgeous."

"Aw, thanks." Tessa couldn't help it; her smile was ear to ear. "But it looks like I'm stuck like this for an hour before I'll present myself. Cecily's getting ready, so…"

"Ah." The apple flew up and he caught it, but it stumbled out of his hand.

Tessa let out a loud, "Ha!" without being able to help herself. "Fail."

"Shut up." He glared.

Tessa walked around the couch in circles, trying to get used to the heels she hadn't worn very often. Her brother turned on the TV and grabbed a banana. He flipped over a thousand channels and then whined, "There's nothing on…"

"Quit your whining," Tessa scolded mockingly.

He crossed his arms and let out a sharp breath. "Well, then."

They watched a little of what was called football here. Nate and Tessa made a silent agreement that they'd keep calling it soccer, though.

Time had passed so quickly as they had bonded, that Tessa hadn't even realized it when the clock said it was fifteen until six. Tessa stood up, nearly tripping because of the heels. Nate had snickered. "Well, I'd best be going. See you in a while, Nate."

"Goodbye, Sister."

And that was that.

Tessa left the house, closing the door and locking it, and set out straight for the Herondale's house, bringing a little purse along with her in case. She rang the doorbell, and held in her breath. Tessa stood somewhat weirdly, resisting the urge to scratch the back of her head.

It wasn't that much of a surprise when Cecily opened the door. She grinned. "Tessa, long time no see."

"Yes, it certainly feels like forever, doesn't it." Tessa smiled.

"Would you like to enter our home?" She gestured inside. Tessa nodded and did so, being greeted by probably the grandest home Tessa's ever seen in all her lifetime.

A startlingly beautiful, slender woman with black hair and dark violet-like eyes approached Tessa. "Hello, my name is Linette Herondale, you must be Tessa." She shook her hand. Tessa could definitely see where her kids got their good-looks.

Tessa smiled at her and nodded. "Yes, yes."

"Great. Welcome to our home," Linette said graciously. "Everyone else will be here in a moment. Thank you for joining us, Miss Gray."

When Linette walked away, Tessa whispered under her breath, "_Miss Gray." _Tessa, with an unexpected giddiness, felt really fancy.

She walked next to Cecily, for she was the only person Tessa knew at the moment, considering Will was somewhere in this vast home. Mr. Herondale, or Edmund, joined soon. He looked stiff and uninterested. And strict. Tessa gulped, hoping she wouldn't mess up everything with them.

By the time the grandfather clock struck six o'clock, Will still wasn't there. They had all pretended it was nothing. Cecily nudged her and whispered, "This usually happens. With Will." Tessa nodded, wondering how Cecily could read her thoughts.

"Thank you, Tessa, for joining us." Linette smiled broadly. "Would you like some tea?"

Tessa nodded, "Yes, please." Linette poured a cup for her, the steam rising from it. Tessa placed two sugar cubes in it, and stirred it with a small spoon. "Thank you." Linette bowed her head and took a sip of her own tea.

Finally, Will walked down the stairs in a black suit and tie. Tessa raised an eyebrow. She certainly didn't expect him to own a suit. He didn't seem to notice her at first, but when he did, he did a double take and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "_Tessa?"_ She heard him faintly say. His eyes wandered down momentarily to her exposed legs.

Tessa flushed, and then he took a seat next to her, staying quiet.

She swallowed anxiously.

They began serving the food, which was a small bowl of fruit, turkey and baked potato with asparagus on the side. "Thank you," Tessa said politely when she was served.

They ate in an awkward silence. Tessa felt like she should say something, but nothing came up but blank thoughts. She looked over at Cecily who was taking a bite of her potatoes, and then she looked over at Will who was poking at his food. He noticed her looking and grinned. She averted her eyes back to her food. She took a bite of a strawberry in the bowl of fruit.

"You know," Will then said. Uh-oh. "Isn't it wonderful that we have a guest here? After all, it gets rather lonesome in this house after a while…"

"_Will,"_ Cecily whispered fiercely. "_Stop."_

"Mm, sorry, sorry." Although he didn't sound sorry. "Shall we change the subject?"

"Please," Cecily said under her breath.

Edmund Herondale then spoke for the first time that evening, "So, Miss Gray, where are you from? Certainly not from here."

Tessa lowered her fork and told him, "No, I used to live in New York. In America."

"Ah, New York. Back in my younger days, I took trips there with friends. It's a nice place, I suppose."

_It's a nice place, I suppose. _The last part of his sentence sounded snobbish. Tessa said nothing, and instead tightened her jaw to keep her from doing so.

Linette gave Edmund a look, and then said to Tessa, "I'm hoping that the moving went rather well, did it?"

Tessa took a sip of her tea, then said, "Oh, yes. It was sort of stressful at first, but Will and Cecily helped a bit, which was rather kind of them, and it did speed things up."

"Well that's good to hear."

Tessa liked Linette. She wasn't sure about Edmund, however.

She began carefully cutting a piece of the turkey, but Will moved the table cloth accidentally when he reached over to grab a piece of bread, causing everything to move away quickly, and for Tessa to cut herself. She gasped with her eyes widened in horror as blood exposed itself.

"_William,"_ Linette hissed. He was oblivious. His mother pointed to Tessa, whose hand was raised up, and her gray orbs were inspecting the wide, jagged cut that spread across the palm of her hand. She made a noise as her heartbeat sped up.

His breath caught. "Did I do that?" he asked. Cecily scowled at her brother and told him "Yes!" in an obvious tone.

"Tessa, I-I'm _really_ sorry." This time he looked genuinely sorry. He reached out for her other hand, which she took, and he guided her gently to the kitchen, his other hand resting around the small of her back.

"It's fine," Tessa reassured.

He shook his head, disbelieving. "Are you even _looking_?"

"It doesn't even hurt." Although it did to the point where she kind of wanted to scream. He took out a first-aid kit, and brought her to the living room, sitting her down as if she were a delicate bird. "Don't treat me like I'm fine china."

"Well would you rather me throwing you onto the couch?" Will shot back.

"Never mind."

"Thought so." This made Tessa chuckle. He cleaned the cut (for the knife was being used to cut _turkey_), and when he finished, he said, "This may hurt a bit." He put on a disinfecting spray and Tessa let out a small squeal, shutting her eyes tightly.

"Sorry," he murmured. He reached for the gauze and wrapped it around her hand. Thank goodness it wasn't the hand she wrote with. She watched his face as he did so. His face held a look of concentration. When he finished wrapping it, Will brought it up to his lips and planted a soft kiss on it. Tessa was blushing furiously.

"Alright, let's get back to the family," he said, sounding almost disappointed. He never let go of her hand, so he was still holding onto it. Will escorted her back and they both gave the rest of the Herondales reassuring smiles. Linette looked relieved, as did Cecily. Edmund didn't seem to care.

Well, then.

They sat back down, and everyone finished their dinners in complete silence. Tessa wiped the sides of her mouth carefully, making sure she didn't smear any of the lipstick off. Edmund stood up and walked back upstairs. Hm.

Linette stayed down and asked if her children could accompany Tessa back to her house. They both nodded, and Cecily stood by her side and Will wrapped an arm around her. Why was he doing this? Because of the whole accidental-cutting situation? At the moment, though, Tessa didn't really care and relaxed her tense muscles.

Cecily narrowed her eyes, very suspicious of Will, but then shook her head. "Well, thank you for joining us," she said. "Aside from William accidentally—"

"It's fine," she told them. "Really. It's not that big of a deal. It'll heal. Anyway, thank you all for having me." Cecily smiled at her.

They landed on her front yard, and they said their goodbyes. Cecily had started walking back, but Will stayed for a minute. "Sorry again."

"Stop apologizing. Seriously, it's fine. And you helped wrap it. See? I'm fine." She raised up her hand with a grin. "Now quit it."

"Fine." Suddenly, he looked anxious. Tessa knitted her eyebrows together. He then moved in and kissed her on the cheek for about five seconds. And in those five seconds, Tessa forgot how to breathe, her own name, and where she was.

"Bye, Tess," he said when he pulled away, and wove his hand.

She was restraining herself from screaming in glee. "Goodbye, Will."

And that was that.

* * *

**A/N: **_Hee-hee. My internet stopped working temporarily on my computer and it was horrible. I tried to update, but now it's back, so I can now. Sorry for the long wait. This is like three thousand words, by the way. Probably the longest chapter._

**_I put a TFIOS (The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, for those of you who do not know) reference in here, haha. Lonely, vaguely pedophilic swing set seeks the butts of children. If you haven't read it, READ IT NOW. RUN. GO. READ IT. And bring tissues._**

_Okay, so get this: Today we had to bring back our Literature and English textbooks, right? And so after lunch, I'm at my locker grabbing my things for my next class. English and Reading (Oh, great, a block :/) are my next classes and so ALL OF A SUDDEN, a guy walks up to me and says:_

"_You know we have to return our textbooks today, right?"_

_So I replied, "Yeah, I know."_

_My textbooks were glaring at me in my locker. _

_Then he said, "I can carry them for you, if you want."_

_AKDJFALJSOIJAOIJCKL THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE._

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Previously…**

_They landed on her front yard, and they said their goodbyes. Cecily had started walking back, but Will stayed for a minute. "Sorry again."_

"_Stop apologizing. Seriously, it's fine. And you helped wrap it. See? I'm fine." She raised up her hand with a grin. "Now quit it."_

"_Fine." Suddenly, he looked anxious. Tessa knitted her eyebrows together. He then moved in and kissed her on the cheek for about five seconds. And in those five seconds, Tessa forgot how to breathe, her own name, and where she was._

"_Bye, Tess," he said when he pulled away, and wove his hand._

_She was restraining herself from screaming in glee. "Goodbye, Will."_

_And that was that._

* * *

Will sort of hated himself at the moment.

This had never happened to him before. He needed to snap out of it. How could a girl like Tessa have this sort of effect on him?

After he took her back to her house, Cecily barged into his room, her face flushed with anger. "_Gwilym._ What did I tell you? I said specifically to _not_ try anything with her. And look at what you're doing—kissing her after you cut her hand! Are you even listening?"

"It was on the cheek," was all he said.

Cecily sighed and sat down on his bed next to him. "I'm being serious."

"As am I." Cecily rolled her eyes. "Cecily. I'm not interested." Lie.

"I was being gentlemanly." Lie.

"It's not like she cares for me anyway." Truth. At least to him.

Cecily faced her brother, taking his hands in hers. He stared at her, blinking once. She was smiling sadly. "This is what I'm worried about. You said you weren't interested. You never actually _are_. So many girls' hearts become broken. Tessa is my friend, William. Don't do this to her. Please."

"I won't," he mumbled as if he were a child.

Cecily clasped her hand with his, making a clapping sound. He looked up at her. Even though she was slightly younger than him, she often did have her moments when he felt like he was the younger sibling and she was the older. Things were just complicated after Ella.

Cecily knew, although he noticed that she pretended as if nothing happened, that she was just living with her husband. Will tried to, but it was hard.

"Good," she said with a satisfied smile. "I know you like her. And if you do go for her, be completely, absolutely sure that you are positive about your feelings. I cannot risk seeing another heartbroken girl. Please." She got up and opened the door wider, ready to take a step.

Although that wasn't what Will was focused on. "I _do not like _her!"

Cecily threw her head back and laughed. "Sure you do." She winked at him. "For what it's worth, I think she likes you too. Just saying." Then she left, the sound of her laughter echoing through the house.

Will was staring out of his door incredulously, his mouth dropping. "Wh…_what?"_

* * *

Tessa was outside her brother's door, raising her bad hand up to knock. She caught herself, and brought it down, hiding it behind her back. She used her other hand and knocked. It took a few seconds for him to open it, but when he did, a small smirk grew on his face.

"Hello, Sister." He brushed a hair out of her face.

She nodded once. "Um, yeah. Hey, look. I'm heading out to the grocery store. You want to come with?"

He shrugged. "Sure. I guess. What're you hiding behind your back?" Tessa gulped. _Uh-oh._

"Nothing," Tessa said a bit too quickly. She gulped.

Nate narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He grabbed the hand she was hiding and looked at her, and the hand repeatedly like a metronome. "What happened?" he hissed.

"Nothing," she repeated. "Nothing happened."

Nate scowled at her. "Don't tell me it's nothing. It's in wrapped in gauze. Something happened."

"It was an accident. I cut myself."

"Must be a pretty gnarly cut, then."

Tessa swallowed.

"Shall I have a look at it?"

Tessa looked away in shame.

"_Theresa!_" he exclaimed when he unwrapped it. "Explain yourself."

Tessa scratched her arm. She hadn't really thought about what to do or say when this situation came. She didn't even expect for it to come. In that very moment, she was speechless. Her brother was looking at her expectantly. She would definitely not say that Will was the one who had caused it, considering Nate would probably never let her see the Herondales again. So instead she made up a lie.

"While I was eating, I accidentally scraped the knife against my hand. It isn't a very deep cut. You don't need to worry. I'll survive." She added a smile to keep him from worrying. He eyed her skeptically, but then dropped her hand. She wrapped the gauze around it once more. He grumbled as they both went down the stairs to the garage, getting ready to leave.

Tessa put on her white pea coat and her usual gray wool boots, leaving her hair down. She grabbed her iPod and headphones and pushed it down into the pocket of her dark jeans. They entered the car and Nate was silent the whole time getting in. When the garage door opened and exposed the blinding light, Tessa spotted Will in his room, leaning against the window with a book. She smiled softly, before turning back to her brother.

"Nothing happened. I'm fine."

He let out a heavy sigh, and turned on the radio. Tessa herself stared out the window the whole time. The clouds were dark and bleak, the water waiting to be squeezed out like a sponge. _Raining,_ Tessa thought. _Hm. What a surprise._

She put her headphones in her ears and put it on shuffle. She had some classical music on there. She loved music that incorporated piano and violin. She loved songs with just piano or even piano and violin. She had some regular music on there as well, but classical made her happiest. The rainy atmosphere only added to the mood.

When they finally gotten there, Nate roughly snatched her hand. She tried shaking him off, but he only held tighter. She let out a whimper, and he loosened his grip, but not by much. "Let _go,_ Nathaniel, I'm not a child." He rolled his eyes and she had finally given up, wanting to cross her arms.

"You know, I'm sort of wanting to cross my arms and pout at you, Nathaniel, but I can't. Would you like to know why? Hm! Maybe it's because _my brother will not let go of my hand._" Tessa scowled.

"Oh my gosh, shut up," he said, grabbing a shopping cart. They entered the store. They went to the aisle filled with cereal boxes and grabbed a few. They bought the necessities and Tessa snuck a couple of snacks.

They ended up spending £32.81.

"Go to the car," Nate told her. "I'll be right back. I just need to get something."

"Fine." She only said it so he could let go of her hand. She had some bags around her left arm and slid half to her right. Tessa nearly ran back to the car, rubbing her arm. She swung the door open and nearly sat down, only to shut the door and go to the left side.

She was never going to get used to this, was she.

* * *

**A/N: **_I am tired. I should be working on a project because it's due on Wednesday, and meh. It's stupid to have projects at the end of the school year. WHY._

_Now onto working on my other story :)_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **_Wow, okay, I don't even put my A/Ns here, but I used to and I kind of missed it. So I'm doing It here today, I guess. I have a Gateway computer and it is a Windows 7, and the thing is that on my computer, there's all these buttons that make things stop. Like there's a Wi-Fi button on where F3 is and I accidentally pressed it one day and had an attack while everyone's Wi-Fi was fine. It looks like a little person with sound waves on the side—I don't even know._

_Anyway, a few days ago, I was writing this chapter for this story when I accidentally pressed F6 which cancels the mouse pad. And I have a laptop. So it was frustrating and I went days trying to figure it out and inserted a desktop mouse. I had only fixed it yesterday night._

_Oh, new computers are so complicated. _

_Sorry for the long A/N. Here's the story._

* * *

**Previously…**

_"Go to the car," Nate told her. "I'll be right back. I just need to get something."_

_"Fine." She only said it so he could let go of her hand. She had some bags around her left arm and slid half to her right. Tessa nearly ran back to the car, rubbing her arm. She swung the door open and nearly sat down, only to shut the door and go to the left side._

_She was never going to get used to this, was she._

* * *

While waiting, Tessa snatched out her iPod inserted her headphones in her ears, and started playing songs. She rested her head against the car seat and shut her eyes, lips forming the lyrics but with no sound coming out. She involuntarily bobbed her head softly with the music.

Suddenly she heard a bang. Tessa threw off her headphones and hastily looked out the window. There was a man standing before the car next to her, beating it with what looked like a baseball bat. He hit the windows and she could hear the sound of glass crashing down. She immediately sat back, hoping the man didn't see her.

Tessa let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Without being able to help it, she leaned in as slow as possible, observing at him from her peripheral vision. He wasn't facing her and was kicking the car. She sat back and crouched down. She let out ragged breaths.

Nate would be coming back soon and he'd see this. Surely he would. Tessa could only hope that he'd at least do something.

_Come on, Nate,_ Tessa thought, her heart racing. _Get over here._

She subtly looked out the window and saw him walking out the store, carrying a bag in his hand. _Hurry up,_ she thought, slapping her hands rapidly against her legs impatiently. He was moving closer until the man was in view.

The man there noticed Nate's presence and started to run away. But Nate wouldn't let that happen. _"Hey!" _Tessa heard her brother shout. Nate started chasing after the guy and Tessa started getting even more anxious.

Once Nate was close enough, the guy swung his fist and Nate staggered, holding onto his nose. "Nate!" Tessa screamed, her hands moving up to cover her mouth. Alarmed and not knowing what to do, Tessa opened a compartment in the car and grabbed her phone, dialing the first number she thought of.

* * *

"Cecily, you're phone's ringing," Will called down from the stairs.

Looking up from her laptop, Cecily groaned and shut off the computer. She swung over the bed and ran down the stairs. She found her brother holding up her phone with raised eyebrows. She slapped his shoulder lightly and hissed, "_Give_ me that." Will chuckled and gave her the phone. Jem was there, sitting on the couch next to Will.

Rolling her eyes, Cecily pressed answer on her phone without checking the Caller ID. "Hello?" she said calmly.

"_Cecy_." It was Tessa, and her voice was frantic and wavering. "_I'm sorry to call you right now—you're probably busy or something—but I'm outside a grocery store and—_" Tessa let out a sob.

Suddenly worried, Cecily asked her, "Which grocery store are you at?" She told her where, and Cecily nodded, hastily walking over her brother, grabbing his sleeve, and dragging him, ignoring his protests.

"James, save me!" Will looked at Jem insistently, but Jem just rolled his eyes and got up to follow him with a long stride.

"Tessa, can you tell me _exactly_ what is going on?" Cecily asked.

Will tilted his head, a question in his eyes. "Tessa? Cecily, what—James?"

Jem was curious as well. "What's wrong with Tessa?"

Cecily put up a finger. "She's telling me, now hush."

"_There's this guy—he was totally destroying this car—and my brother just came and was about to stop him and now the guy is beating him up and—I'm such a coward, I didn't know what to do, so I called you."_

"It's okay, Tessa, Will, Jem, and I will be right there." Tessa made a quiet noise of understanding and a slight whimper.

Cecily hung up threw the keys at her brother. "Come on. You're driving."

Will looked over at his best friend and laughed. "Not until you tell me why."

Cecily really wanted to strangle her brother at that moment. She growled, "Tessa's brother is in danger, and there's a possibility that she might be too." Will stopped laughing at that point and was serious. All three of them ran to the car and drove over to the grocery were Tessa was at.

* * *

Why couldn't Tessa just run over and stop the whole thing? At the moment, she was frozen. She wanted to scream for her brother. Her lips formed his name, but no sound came out. She couldn't stand watching. The man had kicked Nate in the gut and tears were rushing down her face.

Tessa was trying to get herself to move. She _wanted _to oh so badly. She was in a state of shock, and couldn't do anything. It frustrated her inside and she bit hard down on her cheek until blood came.

Soon enough, a speeding car came in, not even bothering to park. Will and Jem jumped out of it, and Cecily began looking for the cars which held Tessa. Finally slipping out of the shock and finally capable to do something, she pushed the car door open and ran over to Cecily. Will pushed the guy of Nate and pushed him roughly against the wall, shouting at him and threatening him, occasionally throwing a punch.

Tessa winced.

Jem walked over to Will, putting a hand on his shoulder and counseling him. Will finally let go of the guy, glaring daggers at him, who fell to the floor. Will walked over to Tessa and Cecily, and behind his back, Jem kicked the guy once in his side aggressively. Tessa heard him crying out and Jem sent him a dirty look. She had never seen this side of him before. She was used to the kind-hearted version of him.

This Jem Carstairs was a lot scarier.

Nate was wheezing and Tessa ran over to him, grabbing his hand. "Nathaniel, are you all right?"

"Tessie," he said, "I don't look too bad, do I?"

"No." She shook her head and let out a light laugh for his sake. "No you don't."

"Okay, good," he said. "How are you going to get back home? I can't drive. Not right now." His face had blood streaming down from it, and bruises were starting to form.

"We'll take her."

Tessa turned around, and Will was right behind her, crouching down and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"And who might you be?" Nate said. He coughed.

Will grinned. "William Herondale. Will's fine though."

"Herondale," Nate repeated slowly. "Your family is the one Tessa—?"

"Yeah," Tessa said, nodding. "Yeah."

"We'll need to have a proper meeting next time," he wheezed, "under better circumstances, then."

Then he blacked out, and Tessa screamed.

Will grabbed onto her arms gently, and she cried into his shoulder. He then wrapped his arms around her and he murmured incoherent, but comforting, noises into her ear, and even pressing a kiss against her forehead.

Cecily and Jem propped Nate up. The ambulance came quickly and they both helped him inside. Tessa clung on to Will and the ambulance drove off with her brother in it. His arm was still around her. He walked her to her car. Cecily and Jem went to Will's but he kind of needed to take their car back.

He settled her in, and they drove off.

* * *

**A/N:** _NOT PARTICULARLY FOND OF THIS CHAPTER, BUT __KIND OF NEEDED TO END IT HERE BECAUSE MY BATTERY'S ABOUT TO DIE AND I'M ABOUT TO GO TO THIS JAZZ-IN-THE-PARK THING WITH MY DAD AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW OKAY_

_I was feeling jittery when I wrote this chapter so I sort expressed my jittery-ness here and I'm like shaking like a chihuahua right now for absolutely no reason I don't know what's going on lol_

**Disclaimer: **_**I don't own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story.**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Previously…**

_"We'll need to have a proper meeting next time," he wheezed, "under better circumstances, then."_

_Then he blacked out, and Tessa screamed._

_Will grabbed onto her arms gently, and she cried into his shoulder. He then wrapped his arms around her and he murmured incoherent, but comforting, noises into her ear, and even pressing a kiss against her forehead._

_Cecily and Jem propped Nate up. The ambulance came quickly and they both helped him inside. Tessa clung on to Will and the ambulance drove off with her brother in it. His arm was still around her. He walked her to her car. Cecily and Jem went to Will's but he kind of needed to take their car back._

_He settled her in, and they drove off._

* * *

He was silent the whole time, giving her time to just let out all of her emotions. She was leaning against the window, her head down, the whole car ride.

Will kept looking over at her, and she was in the same position the whole time. He was getting awfully concerned. No person should react this way in times like these. Tessa was strong, and she was staying strong, for her brother. But sometimes, she just needed to let it out. "Just let it out, Tess. It's not healthy."

She shook her head. "No. I need to be strong. _He_ needs to be strong, and so do I."

Still worried, Will told her, "You're going to drive yourself insane."

"Well, then let me," Tessa deadpanned.

He made a turn and soon, their houses were in view. When he got in front of her house, he got out of the car and opened the door for her. When she got out as well, she didn't look at him. Tessa went straight for the door and nearly shut it in front of Will's face without looking back, but he caught it, and entered inside with her.

"What are you doing?" She put a hand on her hip and stared right through him. Will stood there, unmoving. "_William._"

"Well," he started, "you're not just going to stay here all alone, are you? I mean, without supervision, something could happen. You'd start blaming yourself. Which could lead to depressing thoughts. This could _also_ lead to thoughts about self-harm." He was talking about his experience with Ella. "None would happen under my watch."

She eyed him warily. "And _how _can you be so sure of that?"

"Because I wouldn't allow it."

* * *

Nate was already on the beds wearing a hospital gown. Fortunately, his injuries weren't very serious. Some pretty large bruises, yes, most definitely. Also, he had a black eye and some cuts. Cecily was impatiently drumming her fingers on her legs, looking at Tessa's brother. Jem sighed, shaking his head at Cecily.

"Did you really think he'd wake up immediately?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cecily turned her head to look at him. "Of course not. But imagine what this must be doing to Tessa's nerves. You saw her."

He looked down. The poor girl was nearly in hysterics. Of course he had thought of her. She was his friend, after all. But seeing her like that was just painful.

The walls were white and pristine, and the air smelled strongly of disinfecting spray. He had shuddered minutes ago when greeted with the smell. The whole presence of the hospital was depressing and gloomy.

"Yeah," Jem said bitterly, "I did."

Nate twitched for a second, and Jem and Cecily both immediately glanced at each other, before turning their heads to look back at Tessa's brother. Then he sighed, a cough following. Jem looked over at Cecily and she was grimacing.

"What is he even…" she trailed off, taking a deep exhale to keep her patience.

Nate then turned on his side, groaning. Jem watched as his eyes fluttered open. He must've saw Jem and Cecily standing there because he immediately shot up, his face contorting into pain and surprise. "Who are you both?"

Cecily looked over at Jem, as if asking for permission to speak, and he shrugged. "We're Tessa's friends," she told him. She looked smug when she said, "I'm Cecily Herondale."

She looked over at Jem, who took the hint and said, "I'm James Carstairs. Just call me Jem, though. Everyone does." He gave a small smile, hoping they didn't scare Tessa's brother.

Nate's eyes moved incessantly between the two. "You Herondales are everywhere, aren't you?"

Cecily laughed. Jem was just relieved he didn't seem too frightened.

All of a sudden, Nate's eyes widened. He tried getting over the bed, but the pain from him being battered must've stopped him from doing so. Instead, he gasped out a, "Tessie. Where's my sister?"

Jem rose up his hand and spoke, his voice soft so he could sound reassuring, "Don't worry; she's at your house at this moment. She's fine."

"I have to get to her." His voice was insistent and he tried getting up with no avail.

Cecily stopped him immediately, her voice commanding when she said, "Get back in your bed." Nate cowered back into it obediently.

"Nice work, Cecy," Jem whispered. She grinned and said thanks. "Listen, Nathaniel. You need to be resting right now. You wouldn't want to come home looking like that, and worrying your poor dear sister, would you?" He shook his head 'no.'

"We didn't think so. Now, come along, James." Cecily gestured for him to follow her as she left the room.

Jem chuckled and mumbled, "You're the boss."

She brightened and turned around to look at him with a grin. "Am I, now?"

He widened his eyes and shook his head. "No. No, no, no."

"Actually, I think I am."

Jem rolled his eyes, and began walking in front of her. "Whatever you say, Cecy. Whatever you say."

* * *

_Because I wouldn't allow it. _

Will breathed shallow breaths as she eyed him. He kept still, though, masking his expressions. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head, her mind processing everything happening. Suddenly she moved closer to him, to the point where they were both only inches away from each other. His shallow breaths became shallower, to the point where it almost felt like he couldn't breathe.

Her eyes brightened suddenly, like the way they do when she gets an idea, although instead of turning faintly blue the way her eyes usually did, they became a stormy gray. Will stared at her, no longer sure what to do with her this near. Then Tessa wrapped her arms around him next, and his mind went blank. Will then found himself pinned against the wall.

He was sure he could no longer breathe anymore.

Tessa crashed her lips against his. Shocked, he stood still for a moment before responding by wrapping his arms around her, one on the small of her back, and the other one tangled in her hair. It was a surprising discovery to see that their lips fit together perfectly, as if they were shaped for each other's.

The kiss was very passionate and fervent. Tessa entangled her fingers into his hair, and Will couldn't help the groan that escaped his mouth. He could feel her heart racing and they switched positions, with her against the wall rather than him. She gave him a sly smile before pressing her lips to his once again.

When she wrapped her leg around him, he could suddenly sense something was wrong. How was he so _stupid?_ Kissing Tessa, in a state like this. She wasn't herself at the moment, and he was letting her do this, right when he said he wouldn't. He gently pushed her off, and she gave him a quizzical look, before reaching for him again. He backed away.

"Tess," he tried saying, but she was too close and he couldn't focus. "Tess, stop."

She feigned a hurt expression, with her head tilted to the side and pouted lips. It didn't help that they were slightly swollen, thanks to him. He kicked himself a dozen times mentally.

"Why, Will? Don't you want this?" She raised her eyebrows. "I know all about your 'reputation.'"

He ignored her. "You're not yourself right now."

Tessa rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm myself, Will, don't be foolish."

"You don't really want this," he told her. "You're hurting. You're trying to find something to replace that hurt. Don't, Tessa. Just don't."

Her eyes returned to that faint shade of blue he saw so rarely, and they softened. "I…" He shook his head. She _used_ him. Will wasn't really angry, rather disappointed. He understood that she wasn't glad at _all_ about her brother's condition, but still. Tessa used him. He turned around, reaching for the door.

"Who are you to tell me those things?" she shouted at him. Will straightened and faced her. She was scowling.

_There she is,_ Will thought, nearly smiling a satisfied smile.

"You can't just tell me those things and just…and just walk away! _Will, _are you even listening."

This time, Will grinned.

"Wipe that grin right off your face, William. Or I shall hit you with my umbrella." She pointed to the umbrella near her bed. He gulped and did as she asked.

Slowly, he said, "I'm listening. Please do not hit me with that umbrella." She let out a laugh and then quickly bit down on her cheek and turned away.

"I'll just go, if you want." He scratched his arm and looked down. She turned back and faced him, shaking her head. "No?"

Tessa took a deep breath. "No. Because you'd be breaking your promise."

He eyed her and said, "Which was…?"

She avoided his gaze. "You said you wouldn't allow it."

* * *

"Just take me home already," Nate groaned. "Why can't you just sneak me out of here?"

Cecily looked at Jem, and he said, "Maybe because it's probably not legal."

"You are both treating me like a child," he whined. "Need I remind you that _I am older than both of you._"

"Hush," Cecily commanded. "I'm going to call Tessa." She scrolled through her contacts.

Nate brightened. "May I talk to her?"

"No. Now be quiet." She found Tessa and pressed call. She waited for her to answer and ignored Nate's complaints of, "But she's my sister!" All of which Cecily rolled her eyes at.

She hated the hospital and she absolutely despised being there. But this was for Tessa. She kept her gaze on the marble floor and ignored the rushing nurses and even one time, a patient on a gurney.

Tessa didn't answer, and Cecily stared questioningly at her phone. Jem put a hand on her shoulder and asked, "Are you all right?"

"Tessa's not answering." She stared at it as if it would give her answers to a deep question.

"What do you think she's doing?" he asked her.

"I have no idea. I hope she's all right, though," Cecily said truthfully. "She's probably going through a tough time. Thankfully Will's there. I hope."

Jem looked up. "Will's there?"

"Yeah. I hope he is. She can't be alone. Not with all that fury in her."

"Especially Tessa."

"_Especially_ Tessa." Jem chuckled.

"_CECILY, JAMES!" _Nate shouted. They both looked at each other exasperatedly and groaned before coming to his aid.

* * *

**A/N: **_SO TESSA'S SORT OF OOC HERE BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WHATEVER BECAUSE WILL AND TESSA KISSED WHOO. NOT NECESSARILY IN THE BEST SITUATION BUT YEAH. Caps lock abuse, wow, okay, sorry._

_I had this chapter done for forever but I hadn't updated because we're doing semester exams now and it's taking up all my time and stuff with studying (AND I __**STILL**_ _GET HOMEWORK WHAT IS THIS OUTRAGE). But yeah. Sorry._

_I really liked writing the parts with Jem/Cecily/Nate. Other parts I felt were cheesy or that I did something wrong and I just...don't know._

_Review for the next chapter! :D_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own the Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	14. Chapter 14

**Guest – It's not that she **_**does **_**self-harm, it's just Will saying that when you're depressed, thoughts like that **_**can**_** happen, and that he doesn't want that to happen to her, since he's already been through that kind of stuff (although he's never done it).**

* * *

_Jem looked up. "Will's there?"_

"_Yeah. I hope he is. She can't be alone. Not with all that fury in her."_

"_Especially Tessa."_

"_Especially Tessa." Jem chuckled. _

"_CECILY, JAMES!" Nate shouted. They both looked at each other exasperatedly and groaned before coming to his aid._

* * *

Will had told her that he didn't have to leave. And the truth was—she didn't want him to. But the problem was that she was completely and utterly embarrassed.

She thought herself to be stupid. While Will was probably in a deep slumber, Tessa couldn't sleep at all. She contemplated for hours the reasons he should probably hate her now. Or why he'd be wary of her, or think she's a complete idiot.

Probably all of the above.

The poor guy was sleeping on the floor below Tessa. She felt incredibly guilty and insisted that she'd take the floor rather than him, but he declined. And gosh was he stubborn.

"_Will, I am serious," she told him, becoming annoyed._

_He huffed and said, "As am I, Tessa. Can you pass me a pillow or something?"_

_Tessa frowned. This was only making her feel guiltier. She gingerly handed him a pillow. She tried being nicer to him, and more gentle, considering what she had done hours ago. It hadn't helped that Nate was _still_ in the hospital._

_It was then silence—but not just any silence. Awkward silence. And that was the worst of them all._

_Tessa absolutely could _not _handle awkward silences. What was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to entertain them by engaging in conversation? But what would the conversation be about? What was happening? She sighed and walked into her bathroom connected to the room. _

"_It smells lovely here," Will commented. "Lavender?"_

_Tessa stopped in her steps and inhaled the air. She considered it, until she realized that it did actually smell like lavender. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess."_

"_Goes with the color." He pointed to the walls. _

_She looked at them, and her eyebrows arched. "Hm. I'm pretty sure that wasn't intentional."_

"_Seems like it."_

"_Well, quit your assumptions because you're wrong," she deadpanned, eyeing him. Will rolled his eyes. She could barely see the actual blue of them. They were nearly black in this dark light. _

Tessa sighed and pulled out her phone out of boredom. It was a habit, after all. She had to outstretch her body across from the bed to the table next to it, for her phone was charging. It was dead for the whole entire day.

It appeared that she had received seven calls from Cecily, and guilt hit Tessa in the gut, and let out a small gasp. There were also texts.

_January 27, 2013; 14:34  
_**Tessa, it's Cecily. Your brother's awake and he doesn't seem too bad. He keeps requesting for you though.**

_January 27, 2013; 14:58  
_**How do you even put up with him? Jem and I are struggling here.**

_January 27, 2013; 15:15  
_**Hey Tess. Please answer when you have the chance. I hope all's well. – Cecily.**

Tessa groaned, throwing her head back. She hit her head against the headboard and grunted. She heard Will yawn and murmur groggily, "Tess, what're you up to now?" He sat up. "Those were some awfully peculiar noises you were making there."

She was grateful that he couldn't see her tomato-red flushed face in the darkness.

"Nothing," she said immediately. She saw Will with a small smirk painted on his face, his face full of amusement. "Your sister called. And texted."

All amusement left his face and his smirk dropped. "She did? Is she all right? How's your brother?"

She bit her lip and stared down at her phone. "I'm sure she is. She wrote, '_Your brother's awake and he doesn't seem too bad_.'"

Will smiled broadly, "That's good to hear. Do you want me to drive you down to the—"

"_No._ Go to sleep, Will," Tessa said, throwing a pillow at his head, ruffling his hair and making her laugh as he shielded his face.

He went under the blankets that he had (Tessa gave him many and refused to take them back) and shut his eyes. His voice was muffled when he said, "Bo-ssy."

She turned down her brightness on her phone and texted Cecily back.

_January 28, 2013; 1:51  
_**Cecily! I'm so so sorry I didn't answer. My battery's been dead the whole day. You're not still there, are you?"**

Surprisingly, Cecily responded quickly.

_January 28, 2013; 1:52  
_**Perhaps... And it's alright. **

Tessa involuntarily looked at Will.

She typed out:

_January 28, 2013; 1:54  
_**I'm coming over there.**

She didn't answer back at this point, and Tessa looked over at Will once more. He was still and his breathing was normal. She flushed momentarily, and then prayed mentally that he'd be asleep.

She carefully took off the covers and got off the bed gracefully, tiptoeing quietly out of her room. She glanced one more time to see if he was still asleep. He was. Relief washed over Tessa and she put on some boots and shrugged on her jacket before going downstairs, grabbing the keys and her mobile, and going into the garage and into the car.

* * *

By the time Tessa had gotten there, she ran inside the hospital, clutching onto the end of her jacket. She pushed the doors open and saw a fair-haired lady with silvery skin who worked there looking puzzled. Tessa walked up to her, and said, "Hi. My name is Theresa Gray, my brother Nathaniel is here…?"

The lady nodded. Tessa's eyes fell on her name tag and it read "Camille B."

Camille looked at her computer and her eyes narrowed. She brightened and then said, "Ah, yes. Nathaniel Gray. Come with me."

Tessa did as instructed and followed Camille, who looked somewhere in her mid-twenties. She was in your stereotypical nurse's outfit with those white shoes they all wore. Her shoes tapped on the white marble flooring. Tessa held in her breath when the disinfectant-spray smell grew stronger. The bright walls hurt Tessa's tired eyes.

They saw room '239' and entered it, and she spotted Cecily. Cecily was barely awake with dark circles under the blue orbs those Herondales had, and she was yawning. Her eyes glazed over and saw Tessa, and she smiled sleepily. "Tessa," she mumbled. "You're here."

"Yeah." Tessa nodded once. "I'm here."

She turned her head to look at Tessa's brother and pointed at him. "He's better. He was awake a while ago. Oh, and he's allowed to go home."

Tessa grinned momentarily, and then frowned. "Cecily, you should go home. I'll even drive you."

She looked too tired to even protest. "Mm, okay." She stood up and walked over to Nate, shaking him.

He groaned and said sharply, "_What_, Cecily, could be as important as to wake me up during my slumber?"

Cecily eye's closed and she pointed lazily at Tessa. "Your sister's, mm, here." She yawned.

"Nate," Tessa breathed, "are you all right?"

He snapped his head up and his blue eyes met her gray ones. "Tessie!" he exclaimed. "Take me home before _she_ drives me insane." He looked around frantically. "Where did the nice one go?"

"Oh, Jem?" Cecily asked. "I sent him home." She looked over at Tessa and stared at her expectantly. "Is my brother here?"

"Oh, no, I snuck off."

Cecily rolled her eyes. "Ah, well. Let's just go home." And they did, before paying the bill that made Tessa nearly pass out.

* * *

Tessa had parked outside of her house and walked Cecily home after telling Nate to go to his room and to not even look at hers. He didn't question it but did as she asked.

She walked to her own door and opened it quietly, hoping Will wouldn't be able to hear it and scurried up the stairs without making a noise. She carefully opened the door, only to reveal an angry looking Will. _Oops,_ she thought, gulping.

"Tessa," he hissed. "Where the hell where you?"

A shiver of fear went through her. "I picked up my brother," she said. "And brought Cecily back home." He relaxed slightly, but was still fuming.

"And you left without me knowing?" Will's eyebrows lifted.

She scoffed and crossed her arms. "Well, yeah. I don't see why you'd care, though."

His eyes nearly popped out of his head and an disbelieving look passed over his face. "_Why I'd care?!_" Will asked incredulously. "You're my..._friend_, Tess. Why wouldn't I care?"

"Well," she looked down, tucking strands of hair behind her hair. "You never seemed to have cared before."

"You _idiot_," Will said in an irritated tone before dropping his hands and wrapping his arms around her. She hesitantly returned the action, and then relaxed in his grasp.

* * *

**A/N: **_HAH, okay, I'm evil. _

_For all you Whovians out there—did you HEAR the new?_ _We only have __**two**__ episodes with Matt Smith left and then he's off to regeneration. HELP omg._

**Disclaimer: **_**I don't own The Infernal Devices or anything mentioned in this story.**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Previously…**

"_And you left without me knowing?" Will's eyebrows lifted._

_She scoffed and crossed her arms. "Well, yeah. I don't see why you'd care, though."_

_His eyes nearly popped out of his head and an disbelieving look passed over his face. "Why I'd care?!" Will asked incredulously. "You're my...friend, Tess. Why wouldn't I care?"_

"_Well," she looked down, tucking strands of hair behind her hair. "You never seemed to have cared before."_

"_You idiot," Will said in an irritated tone before dropping his hands and wrapping his arms around her. She hesitantly returned the action, and then relaxed in his grasp._

* * *

It was already Monday.

Will had already left his house at around four o'clock in the morning. _Thank God,_ she thought. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy his presence. He was oddly caring yesterday, which had been a total change of what she had been used to.

Once again, the suspicion is back.

What she didn't enjoy was the fact that she kept blushing around him. Every single time she looked at him, she vaguely felt the feel of his dark hair in her fingers. Tessa had been a tomato.

But now was the day for school, and after recent events, Tessa drove herself to school, not letting her brother to take her, for he was still recovering. Of course he had protested, but she finally won in the end. Tessa was awfully persistent.

When she arrived at the building, the wind was blowing her hair wildly. She groaned in frustration and was entirely grateful that she carried a hair tie with her, and put her hair up. When she entered the school, Jessamine was the first face she saw.

Unfortunately.

Jessamine was fuming and pushed her against the lockers. Tessa's back ached, but she stayed strong and glared at her back with a determined look in her eye. That's when Jessie slapped her, and Tessa's face started stinging with the pain she had inflicted upon her.

"_Ouch!_ What was _that_ for?!" Tessa nearly shouted at her.

Jessamine was scowling. "You still don't know? You little slut." Tessa was offended, but made herself not seem to be. She had a blank look on her face and Jessamine seemed to finally realize that she actually _didn't_ have any clue. About time.

"You're the little piece of freaking trash that came and stole Will from me. You! _My Will. _From me," she snarled.

Tessa blinked.

"What?" Jessamine took a step back. "Stealing Will? I'm not stealing him from anybody. Not to mention that he wasn't even yours in the first place." Tessa bit her tongue. She shouldn't have said that. Her face still hurt.

"_You bitch,_" Jessamine roared and pushed her down on the ground. Tessa grimaced in pain. She kicked the defenseless Tessa once, hard, and then walked away, before spatting, "Stay away from him, you whore."

Even though she started walking away, she bumped into a certain Will Herondale. "Will!" Jessamine grinned, wrapping her arms around him. He stood still, staring at her coldly with those piercing blue eyes that made Tessa shiver.

"What," Will started, "the hell you just do?"

Jessamine anxiously twirled a piece of hair, faking a sweet smile. "I just hugged you, silly. Don't play those games with me."

"Not that," he said. "That." Will pointed over at Tessa. Her eyes were shut and she was still on the ground, shaking in pain. Jessamine kicked her right in the gut. One side of her face was bright red.

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Oh, does it even matter? She's not even important."

Will scowled at her, his face flushing with anger. "_To me_ she is!"

Jessamine looked up at him with crazy eyes. "You—you can't be serious, Will. She's not even pretty. Not really."

Tessa's eyes were barely opened, and she noticed Cecily listening in on the conversation, both of them not noticing. She jumped in between them, glaring at Jessamine. "What did you say?" Cecily whispered.

She smirked. "She's not even pretty. Or important."

Cecily was smirking at her back. She looked so much like Will at that moment, and her blue eyes were deadly. "You know, Will cannot hit you, for he is a boy. That would be showing a lack of propriety. _However,_ I am a girl." She was grinning evilly at this point, and a crowd was beginning to form.

Tessa didn't know if she should interfere. She was getting up, her knees shaking so hard that it made it difficult to stand. She really appreciated them both for doing this, but wouldn't just make Jessamine hate Tessa even more?

"Jessamine Lovelace," Will said exasperatedly. "We were never even dating in the first place. In fact, as I recall, I thought we, perhaps, _hated each other_. Go on, Cecy, I give you permission." She nodded and began tackling Jessamine, who screamed pathetically.

Will walked over to Tessa and held out a hand. She took it, and he walked her silently to the nurse's office.

* * *

Will walked into his first period classroom after dropping Tessa off. Jem's eyes immediately went to Will, whose eyes were downcast.

"Are you all right, William?" Jem asked. "Mr. Lightwood's not here today, so you are very lucky."

Will slouched in his chair looking rather tired. "Just my luck, then," he said flatly. Jem eyed him and looked to the empty spot next to Will.

"Where's Tessa?"

"Nurse," he replied shortly.

Jem sighed. "Forgive me, for I don't mean to pry, but something's bothering you. Care to tell me what that is?"

"No."

Jem chuckled. "Goodness, you are so bloody stubborn. Ah, well. It's not like this is a first, anyway."

"Hm, whatever you say, James," Will mumbled tiredly, stifling a yawn. He shut his eyes, preparing himself to sleep in class, when Jem asked another question.

"Why is Tessa in the nurse's office in the first place—?"

"_James_." Will put a hand up. He grinned bitterly and said, "Dear God, you are starting to become like her. Asking questions repeatedly." Then Will chuckled and murmured, "You could put that girl into an empty room and she'd start asking questions about the furniture or the paint or something."

He gave him a pointed look and he threw up his hands in surrender. "Gracious. You're acting as if I committed a crime." Jem's silver eyes rolled at him.

Yesterday was probably one of the most eventful day he had ever had in his whole life. First Tessa. Then Tessa. And then finally, Tessa. Those were all of his thoughts yesterday. The only problem was that he had only then realized his mistake. He had shown too much affection. He had to put an end to it.

And there he was, back to the version of himself that everyone's grown so accustomed to.

It didn't really help that he had been in a bad mood that day. Jessamine was being extremely annoying. She had asked him where he was yesterday, and just to make her angry, he smirked at her and said, "With Tessa."

Which had probably been the worst mistake of his entire life.

Thanks to him, she had been beaten, and at the nurse's office. He wanted to hit Jessamine so bad. Alas, he was still a gentleman, and men cannot hit ladies. It's completely and utterly improper.

Thankfully, Cecy had been there to witness enough and had battered her for him.

Suddenly, Tessa had walked in. Her face was stuck in a grimace and she was holding onto her stomach. On her cheek, a small bruise was forming. His heart ached and his fists clenched. _Jessamine is going to regret this._

She walked rather slowly over to Jem and Will's table. Jem's eyes flashed with concern and he took her hand and asked her if she's alright. She attempted a polite smile and small nod at him. Jem shook his head. _She should've just gone home or something. Not stay here in this hellhole. _

A pang of guilt hit him once Tessa and he locked eyes. He quickly looked away.

Finally, after a while, Mr. Lightwood came for the first time in days. Everyone groaned. He clapped his hands. "All right, class. Today we'll be discussing genetics." He received an unenthusiastic moan from the class. "But for now, I'll be assigning partners for a project you'll soon be working on."

Almost everybody protested.

"No buts! All right. Shall we start?"

Will's eyes flicked to Jem and then Tessa.

He wasn't really listening the time, just drawing patterns into the table. That is, until Tessa's partner was chosen:

"_Theresa Gray – Jessamine Lovelace._"

Will choked and Tessa spluttered. Jem honestly had no idea what was going on with those two.

Tessa looked frantically at Will, and stared back, looking nearly as distraught as her. Her eyebrows were knitted together and her eyes had a hint of fear. His heart clenched, and his face softened. Her eyes momentarily glanced at Mr. Lightwood and back to him, and Will got the hint.

Tessa looked at Jessamine who was smirking evilly at them. Tessa made a noise, and all Will wanted to do was comfort her and hold her while murmuring sweet nothings into her ear and—

He shook his head. _Stop,_ he told himself.

"_William Herondale – James Carstairs."_

Jem grinned at Will, and he tried to smile back. How come he gets a good partner and Tessa doesn't? Out of everyone in the class, did it have to be Jessamine Lovelace?

. . .

The moment class was over, Will grabbed Jessamine's wrist. She purred seductively (or at least what _she _thought was. It made Will want to throw up) and he brought her into the music room, for it was abandoned at the moment.

It was the same place he and Jem had brought Tessa not so long ago, when Mr. Lightwood wasn't there.

"Jessie," he said finally, after avoiding her gaze. "If you _dare_ harm Tessa—in any way—I will personally—"

She interrupted him, rolling her brown eyes. "I'm not stupid, Will."

"Are you sure about that?" His voice was cold.

Jessamine frowned. "I'm not going to hurt her."

Will leaned back against the wall, a satisfied smile on his face. "Good. Actually, you know what I'll do? Cecily and I will be right outside the door. And if the slightest thing occurs, I will call the police." Jessamine actually looked frightened. She nodded her head and then sauntered out of the room, and Will went to his next class.

* * *

"Lunch," Cecily licked her lips, "yum."

Will's face turned into a look of disgust. Tessa turned around and saw Gabriel Lightwood approaching them. "_Lightworm_," Will spat.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Light_wood_. What even started this nonsense in the first place?"

Will was about to answer, but Cecily's face lit up and she grinned. "Gabriel!" She jumped out of her seat and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and their hands were already joined.

Tessa looked over at Will, who was fuming. "Will," she whispered. "Who's that?"

"Gabriel Lightworm," he muttered under his breath. "Sorry, Light_wood_. My sister and him are 'dating.'" He shivered. "I don't even know why she bothers to see that certified idiot."

Apparently, Gabriel had heard and burst out, "I am _not_ a certified idiot!"

"Lack of certification hardly proves intelligence." Tessa laughed but then quickly covered her mouth after seeing Cecily's glare. Will grinned at her, looking quite cheerful.

"Shut up, Will."

"Hm. All right then." Will looked around the table. "James, Tessa. Come along, for we are about to take a wondrous journey."

Jem and Tessa exchanged glances. He shrugged and Tessa just decided to go along with it. What harm could possibly happen? But then again, with Will Herondale…

"Goodbye, Cecy." He mocked a bow. "Gabe," Will said stiffly. "We're off."

The three of them walked away, both unsure of what Will was up to this time. Tessa, being the most curious, inquired, "Will, we're not actually going on a 'wondrous journey,' are we?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course not, but what a relief it is to finally get away from that monster."

Jem looked horrified. "_Cecily?_"

Will laughed. "No, of course not. Although…"

"Will." Tessa shook her head.

"I _meant_ Gabriel," he said. "Goodness, you two." Tessa rolled her eyes along with Jem and they merely just sat at another table.

* * *

**A/N: **_I had to write another chapter. I have like 99 reviews you __**guys**_**.**

_(Yay for CP2 references! That line made me laugh a lot, so I included it.)_

_SCHOOL IS ENDING AFTER TOMORROW :D *dances cheerfully*_

_And Will is back to his moody self. Tsk, tsk._

**Ignore my mistakes, I wrote this hastily, so. (Believe me, there are a ton. I hope I got rid of some for now.)**

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own the Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	16. Chapter 16

**Previously…**

_He rolled his eyes. "Of course not, but what a relief it is to finally get away from that monster."_

_Jem looked horrified. "Cecily?"_

_Will laughed. "No, of course not. Although…"_

"_Will." Tessa shook her head._

"_I meant Gabriel," he said. "Goodness, you two." Tessa rolled her eyes along with Jem and they merely just sat at another table._

* * *

Will was enjoying the book he held in his hands, crouched up against chair by the window. He turned the page and hummed softly to the classical music playing through his headphones.

It was peaceful.

That is, until Cecily began cursing like a sailor.

He angrily tugged off his headphones. She marched into his room, her face flushed with anger. He sighed. "What is it this time? Was it Lightworm?"

She snorted and shook her head. "_No_, Will. And his name isn't 'Lightworm,' it's Lightwood. How many times must we explain that to you?" He grinned. "Anyway, I'm just really angry because I had just bought something online from someone and she won't let me pick it up because I'm not an adult."

"Well, what is it?"

"It's just a movie. And it's infuriating." Cecily sighed and jumped on Will's bed, her face crashing down into the pillow where she moaned. He stared at her, but then murmured, "Oh, Cecily." Then he returned to his book.

She jumped right back up and gasped loudly. Will slammed down his book and, losing his patience with her, asked, "What is it _now_?"

She was grinning. "I have an idea! And a genius one at that."

"Mm, care to elaborate?" He was only faking his interest.

Her smile was evil and Will suddenly dreaded what she would say. "You could pretend to my father! You're old enough. And Tessa as well! You two can pretend to be my parents." Will's jaw dropped.

"No!" he shouted. "No, no! I will _not_. Not I, nor Tessa. Goodbye, Cecily." He got up to leave. What had she been thinking? For him and Tessa to act like a wedded couple was just…insane. Although the idea wasn't a bad one, he just prefers it not be Tessa. He already feels anxious around her enough, this would just make him mad with insanity.

"You can't say that. Here, I'll call Tessa." Will's eyes widened and he lunged for the phone and snatched it. Cecily was protesting but he threw it under his bed. She groaned and looked for it, and Will tried to get her away or carry her or something.

"I got it!" Cecily exclaimed triumphantly. She ran out of his room and into the bathroom where she locked the door. Cecily, Will knew, liked to have conversations on her cellphone with the speaker on. He pressed his ear against the door and listened on everything.

"Tessa, hi!" Cecily was breathless from what she and her brother had been doing. "You see, I'm sort of in this situation where I need to get something, but I'm too young, and then I thought, 'Hey! Will and Tessa are old enough!' and was wondering if you two could pretend to be a wedded couple and pick up what I want from this person's house and could you please do that? Thanks, okay, bye!" Cecily was talking so fast, Will could barely understand what she was saying. She didn't even give Tessa time to speak.

Soon enough, their doorbell rang and Will went downstairs to get it, and there stood a pale-faced Tessa. She looked up and down at him and he nearly smirked at her. "Where's your sister," she asked, looking around.

"Bathroom," he said, dazed. "You all right? You're looking awfully pale."

She pushed him aside and entered their house. "Did Cecily tell you?"

He nodded. She was walking up the stairs, holding on to the railing. "Yes. I really tried to prevent her from calling you."

"How sweet." Tessa looked around and then spotted the bathroom. She knocked on the door. "Cecily, it's me, Tessa."

Cecily immediately opened the door. "So will you do it?" she asked eagerly.

Tessa was still shocked. "Er, um. I don't know about this. All this for just something you bought? Is it really necessary?"

Cecily nodded. "Please? It's a movie that Gabe and I have wanted to watch for _ages_ so I bought it you see, but I'm too young. You both are old enough." She gave Tessa the sad, puppy dog look she sometimes gave to Will. Her eyes were wide and were glassy. A tear fell down from her eyes. Tessa looked at Will, giving him a pleading look, not knowing how to say no to her.

Will couldn't stand seeing his younger sister like that and he sighed, mildly exasperated and giving up. "Fine. _I_'ll do it, but if Tessa wants to, she can." He looked at her.

She leaned against the wall and shut her eyes. "I guess I'll do so as well."

Cecily grinned and wiped her eyes. "I should be an actress one day. Thank you, guys!" Will sucked in a breath and glared at his sister, who seemed unfazed by it.

Tessa asked, "So how soon do you want this to happen?"

Cecily shrugged. "I was thinking about now."

"_Now?_" he and Tessa both said in unison. Cecily nodded and went back into her room.

"I'll go change into something nicer," Will said, avoiding her gaze, and Tessa agreed. She ran down the stairs and ran back to her house. Will shook his head, aggravated by his sister. He looked into his closet and found something decent, and changed into slacks and a dark blue button down and some nice dress shoes.

He heard the sound of the door opening and he checked to see if it was Tessa. But no—it was his mother. Well, at least it wasn't his father. That would've been a nightmare.

His father's always been a jerk to him and Cecily. He's never around the house and when he is, he ignores his children. His mother was nicer. She wasn't around the house much, but certainly more than Edmund. Linette actually paid attention to her children and never seemed to get angry.

Will walked into Cecily's room. It was filled with black furniture and the walls were white, so it was contrast. It was perfectly clean and tidy, where Will's room was a near opposite. "William!" She seemed surprised. "You look perfect! Good job."

"Uh, thank you?" The doorbell rang and Cecily rushed downstairs and opened the door to Tessa with an azure sundress on and silver flats. Her hair was straightened (he was amazed at how quick she had been with that) and she put on a light amount of makeup: a bit of blush, lip gloss, and mascara.

Will's heart skipped a beat, and he'd be lying if he said that she didn't look stunning, even though she didn't go to extremes.

She entered and looked over at Will from head to toe. He scratched the back of his neck, hoping that he looked okay enough to her. Tessa smiled, and relief washed over him. "You look nice, Will."

"And you look gorgeous," he said automatically. Will slapped himself in the face mentally. Her face flushed red and she bit down a smile with her lip and walked ahead of him.

"Cecy, we're ready!" Tessa called. Quickly, Cecily raced down the stairs and nodded. She told them where the house was and that it was actually in their neighborhood to their relief. Will wasn't exactly excited for the whole thing, but at least Tessa would be at his side.

"Wait," Tessa said before they left. She smiled cunningly at him. "If Will and I are going to pretend to be a 'wedded couple,' I think the least he could do is 'propose.' Just to make the whole thing a bit more believable."

Cecily smirked at her older brother. "I think that's a _wonderful_ idea! Don't you think so, Will?"

Sighing, Will stood in front of Tessa and got down on one knee, mumbling his proposal.

"Louder, Will, I can't hear you," Cecily said. "And try to sound sincere." He groaned.

Will looked up into Tessa's eyes and she was looking at him expectantly. Will gingerly held onto her hand. "Darling Tessa," he started. "We met at school not too long ago. And even though we've only known each other for quite a short time, I'll admit that I began to gradually fall in love with you as the days went on." Her face softened and a faint smile ghosted on her face. His heart was racing impossibly as he continued, and it felt like it was going to explode in his chest. He was only speaking the truth, even if in her eyes he wasn't.

"You make me laugh in the worst of times, even when you do not know it. We both have a mutual adoration for books. You've read the ones I've read after all, and it's one of my favorite things that we have in common.

"We haven't been exactly on the best of terms recently, but I do, with all my heart love you. And I'm only hoping you would accept me to be your husband, Miss Theresa Gray."

He gulped nervously, but Tessa was looking at him with a look of awe on her face. "Wow," she said, sounding breathless. Her head moved up and down slowly and then her nods became surer. "Yes. Yes, William Herondale, and I would be honored to be your wife."

Even if it wasn't real, his heart was bursting with joy and he was grinning in genuine happiness.

But all of that was ruined when his mother came in with a shocked expression. "William, you're getting _married?_ Oh, what a happy day it is! And who's the lucky girl? Oh, it's Tessa! I've always liked you, you know. And guess what? I recorded it so we'll never forget this moment. We'll have to start planning the wedding and everything."

Tessa and Will both were extremely red. Cecily was smirking at the two. Will stood up and brushed himself off.

"Mother," Cecily chimed. She looked at her brother and his 'bride-to-be.' Will slowly shook his head. "I think they'd love to be married in the fall. It's lovely that time of year. Or maybe even on Christmas!"

Will was taken aback.

"I'll start planning right away!" Linette rushed up to the both of them. "Oh, my baby boy is getting _married!_" she squealed.

"Actually," Cecily started looking guilty, "they're not actually getting married, Mother. It's all pretend—for this play we have to perform for our class!"

Tessa then nodded. "Oh, yes. Cecily's supposed to be the director and we are actors. We were just rehearsing."

Linette's face fell. "Oh. How embarrassing." Linette put a hand to her forehead. "I apologize, you two, for making a big fuss out of that. Sorry." She went back into the kitchen.

"I feel so bad," Tessa whispered to Will.

He shrugged. He was still happy. "Doesn't matter. In just a few minutes, we'll be newlyweds," he joked. Tessa cracked a smile.

"Here," Cecily offered. "Put on these rings."

Will took them and handed one to Tessa. He carried the more feminine one and she got the hint. "With this ring," Will said, sliding the ring on her left ring finger, a small smirk forming on his face, "I thee wed."

"With this ring," Tessa said quietly, putting on the ring onto his finger as well, "I thee wed."

After moments, Will said, "I guess we're off then," to Cecily. She nodded and waved goodbye to them both and they exited the Herondale house. Will held out an arm for Tessa to take, which she did. "I know where their house is, I've passed it millions of times."

"Good," she said.

"You know, let's just imagine our 'wedding' for a moment and then it'll be official. Alright?" She laughed and then shut her eyes and he did the same.

Thoughts of white dresses and black suits flashed through his mind. A cake, a priest, rings. Flowers. An ocean. His family members watching and Tessa and him saying 'I do.'

She nodded when she was done and opened her eyes. He did the same. He wrapped an arm around her waist. She jumped and stared at him incredulously. He shrugged and told her, "We might as well look the part." Tessa gave in.

Soon they spotted the brown house Will had seen so many times entering the neighborhood. There were some bushes in the front and trees; there was also a sidewalk leading to the door. They both walked along it, and raised the doorbell.

"Now remember," Will said quickly. "We're newlyweds. It must look believable, alright, Tess?" She nodded, and he gave her a quick peck on the lips. She was blushing again, and raised an eyebrow. "Newlyweds," he reminded. Will was definitely enjoying this.

The door opened and it revealed a tall woman, probably in her forties, with dark blonde hair and warm brown eyes with a serious face. She looked at the two and Will pulled Tessa tighter against him which she complied to.

"Hello," Tessa greeted smoothly. _Quite the actress,_ Will noted. "I'm Mrs. Tessa Herondale, and that's my husband, Will. We're here to pick up a movie. Our sibling couldn't be here to pick it up…?" Will loved the sound of Tessa Herondale.

The woman stared at them, then nodded once. "Ah, yes. Cecily Herondale, as I recall. Come on in, you two."

So they did. Tessa laced her fingers with Will's and he smiled down at her, pressing his lips on her forehead. She beamed.

"I'm Natalie Tenney, nice to meet you." She shook their hands. Will became highly aware of the ring on his finger. Natalie looked around her living room from the coffee table, to behind the TV. She looked at one of the drawers in her kitchen and she brightened. "Ah. Here it is." She held the DVD up in her hands and handed it to Will.

"Thank you, Ms. Tenney," he said in his most polite voice. Tessa was biting her tongue to keep herself from laughing, he saw. He almost laughed himself.

They both walked to door and Natalie followed them out. "Have a good day, Ms. Tenney," Tessa smiled at her, shaking her hand one last time.

"And you, Mrs. Herondale." Natalie winked at her. Will could've laughed right there but kept a serious face.

Tessa and him both left, snickering to themselves when Natalie closed the door. "Oh my God," Tessa said, grabbing on to his arm to steady herself. "That was terrifying and fun at the same time."

Will smirked at her. "Fun? You haven't seen fun yet, sweetheart, just wait till the honeymoon."

Will raised a suggestive eyebrow at her and she covered her mouth and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, _Will!_"

"Good practice, Tess."

She slapped his arm. "Shut up," she hissed. He chuckled and they both walked to the Herondales' house. They stepped on to their front lawn and saw Cecily peeking out through the window. She swung open the door and yanked them both inside.

"So how did it go?" Cecily asked.

Will looked over at Tessa. She was still clutching onto his arm and she pulled away immediately. Admittedly, the experience had been kind of fun. It made him happy. And when he looked at Tessa, he saw his happiness reflected into her eyes, which had turned a light shade of blue.

"It was great," Tessa said. He bowed his head, and handed Cecily the DVD which she grabbed with hungry eyes.

"Really great," he confirmed, his voice unusually quiet.

* * *

**A/N: **_Well that was fun to write. Maybe a bit too cheesy and I sort of needed to be a little more descriptive, but it's getting late, and this is what I got. So don't blame me._

_YOU GUYS YOU GUYS YOU GUYS I GOT 100+ REVIEWS. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I LOVE EVERYONE HERE._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	17. Chapter 17

**Previously…**

"_It was great," Tessa said. He bowed his head, and handed Cecily the DVD which she grabbed with hungry eyes._

"_Really great," he confirmed, his voice unusually quiet._

* * *

"So Cecy," Will said as they turned into the next hallway. "Did you enjoy the movie? Was it worth the trouble?"

A flood of students were there standing impatiently, all trying to leave through the same door. Will sighed. "About that…" Cecily avoided his gaze. "I didn't really have to be an adult to pick it up. It was just some bad excuse to try to..._open_ Tessa and your eyes…" Without another look, Cecily ran away. Will stood there and was, for lack of better words, shocked.

She set them up.

Now that he thought about it, it _did_ seem like a stupid reason to make him and Tessa go to such lengths for a _DVD._

Will pushed some people out of the way and ran to chase after his sister.

* * *

Tessa was on to her third period class. She carried her books and things in her arms and was calmly walking in the hallway.

_It's only Tuesday,_ Tessa thought miserably as she headed into her math class. Then she saw Cecily running and she took a step back, confused. Everyone wasn't staring at her, though. Tessa turned her head and she saw a furious Will Herondale doing what looked like chasing his sister. He sprinted after her but then saw Tessa and jogged over to her.

"Tessa," he said, breathless. "Cecily's been messing with us. That whole incident yesterday? We didn't need to do that. She was playing matchmaker." Tessa's jaw dropped as well as her books. She picked them up and placed them in her math class, and joined Will in the act of running after his younger sister.

They both caught up to her in the busy hallway and Will pulled on her arm and led her to a corner. Tessa was incredibly surprised that Cecily would even do such a thing. Her face defined disbelief.

"Cecily," Tessa started. "Explain yourself." She crossed her arms.

Cecily shied away and stood closer to the wall. "Well, you both are just so stubborn. If anything, I was trying to help you two." Tessa's mouth dried immediately. She was trying to _help_. Both of them. _Oh, Angel,_ Tessa thought, needing more air.

"Oh, Cecily," Tessa said, shaking her head. "You can't just meddle into people's lives."

Cecily frowned. "I was only _subtly_ meddling. I didn't think the rest would happen. But you both enjoyed it, which was obvious." Tessa felt like all of the oxygen ran out at that moment. She desperately wished to pass out at that moment.

Will spluttered. "I think not! Cecily…" He rubbed his temples. They were both obviously uncomfortable with the whole situation, and Cecily didn't seem to care.

Tessa put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just go, Will." She tried speaking in a calming voice, but she was too flustered. "Just leave her alone, she didn't intend for this to happen." But she was still just a bit angry with Cecily.

"Fine," he said, stepping back. "Don't try that sort of stuff again, okay?" Then he walked off.

* * *

Tessa stepped into her English and Reading block with Mrs. Matthews, the only teacher Tessa truly liked. She was probably in her early thirties with mouse brown hair and blue eyes. She's read all the books Tessa had and more. Plus, she was funny and treated everybody fairly, unlike some teachers she had that preferred the popular students.

She sat down next to one of her friends, Sophie Collins. "Hey, Sophie."

"Hi," Sophie greeted back. "How are you?"

"Good," Tessa replied. She looked around the classroom and spotted Gideon Lightwood staring at Sophie. Tessa chuckled.

Of course, her friend had noticed this. "Why are you laughing?"

Tessa lowered her voice and told her as if she was talking about the weather, "Gideon is staring at you, but don't look at him yet."

Sophie's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. "Is he really?" Tessa nodded. She glanced at him again, and he was no longer staring.

"Well, not anymore." She shrugged. The bell rang and Tessa turned around, facing the teacher.

Mrs. Matthews clapped her hands. "All right, class, today we'll be doing some improvisation. I want Gideon, Kyle, Tessa, Julian, and Sophie to come up." Sophie looked nervously at Tessa, and she gave her a reassuring smile. Although Tessa was a bit nervous herself.

"Does anyone have a topic?" the teacher asked.

A student raised their hand. Mrs. Matthews picked on them and they said, "They're visiting the doctor."

"Doctor who?" some guy decided to ask with a twisted smile. A few students laughed. (**A/N: I REALLY HAD TO, I'M SO SORRY.**)

Another student asked, "Can you please clarify on that, Emma? Do you mean _a _doctor or _the Doctor_?"

Emma rolled her eyes and laughed. "A doctor. But you can do the Doctor if you'd like."

Mrs. Matthews took a deep breath and Tessa and Sophie exchanged a look, laughing silently. "A doctor it is, then. Discuss quickly, you five."

They all stood closely whispering among themselves. "Who's the doctor?" Julian asked.

"Gideon?" Kyle suggested.

They nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then," Gideon said. "Then who's the patient?"

Barely smirking, Tessa said, "How about _Sophie_?" Sophie's eyes widened and she mouthed _Tessa. _She simply winked.

"Kyle should be the nurse," Julian joked. Kyle scowled and the rest of them snickered.

"Okay, then," Kyle muttered. "We've got our roles. Sophie, Tessa—we head by the doors and when we start, come here. You stay, Gideon." Everyone but him went by the entrance door and stood there.

"We're ready," Tessa said.

"Action," their teacher pointed a finger to signal for them to start.

They put on faces of panic and rushed over to where Gideon was, and Sophie close her eyes and had a nauseated face, and was stumbling. Tessa put her hands on her shoulders to steady her.

"Doctor Lightwood," Tessa spoke, her voice edged with anxiety. She made herself look like she was about to cry. "Please save our sister, she's going to die if you don't help her."

"Calm down, Miss," Gideon placed his hand on Sophie's forehead. "I'll take a look at her."

Julian nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."

"So can someone tell me what happened to this young lady?" Gideon asked, adjusting his jacket.

"She had just gotten into a car accident," Tessa explained.

A look of concerned flash in his features. "If you both could go sit in the hallway…" Julian and Tessa nodded and sat down in the empty seats in the back. Then it was just Kyle and Gideon and Sophie there.

Gideon carefully laid Sophie down on the desk. "Nurse Kyle, hand me my stethoscope please." The class laughed at the title and Kyle pretended to grab one with a subtle scowl the rest of the class didn't see. Tessa and Julian snickered.

He "placed" the stethoscope onto her neck and mumbled, "Hm. Slow heart rate," he told 'Nurse Kyle.' His hands slid down to her arm and paused. "Dislocated arm."

Sophie's eyes fluttered open.

"Hello, Miss…?"

"Er, Jones."

"Well I'm afraid, Miss Jones, that your arm appears to be dislocated. We'll have to place it back in." Sophie looked alarm and her eyes caught Tessa's. He wrapped his hand around her arm and she held in a breath, whimpering as if she was really in pain. "Nurse, grab the painkillers."

Some students still laughed at his title.

Julian exchanged a look with Tessa and they were both smirking.

They didn't see when Gideon put in back in, but they both heard Sophie's yelp. Her eyes immediately went back to Sophie, who took those painkillers.

Not sure how to end the scene, Kyle went to the front and said, "And scene." They all bowed.

Gideon flashed a smile at Sophie, and she was blushing furiously when they sat back down. "I can't believe you made me be the patient," she muttered to Tessa, who was grinning.

"But you had to admit, you enjoyed Gideon playing doctor with you."

Sophie gently slapped her arm.

Then Tessa's eyes widened. _Oh, Angel,_ she thought with a snort, _I'm turning into Will._

* * *

**A/N: **_I did not know how to write this chapter. It took the whole day. It's not even good *hides face in shame* and it's kind of short. _

_So forgive me, readers._

_I really did have to write that Doctor Who part. I just had to. If I didn't, I'd live my life regretfully._

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story.**


	18. Chapter 18

**fyerflys**** – I call them Sideon. Or Collinwood. Sideon Collinwood :P But Gophie is cool too.**

* * *

**Previously…**

_Gideon flashed a smile at Sophie, and she was blushing furiously when they sat back down. "I can't believe you made me be the patient," she muttered to Tessa, who was grinning._

_"But you had to admit, you enjoyed Gideon playing doctor with you."_

_Sophie gently slapped her arm._

_Then Tessa's eyes widened.__Oh, Angel,__she thought with a snort,__I'm turning into Will._

* * *

Will seemed to be avoiding Tessa that whole day. He ditched first period with Mr. Lightwood, leaving Tessa and Jem puzzled. He was there afterwards in the hallways, and when she was about to approach him, he had already stepped into his class, or was no longer reachable due to the crowded area. In third period which was history, he was there _although _he sat across the room and didn't even spare a glance at her.

What had she done wrong?

Other than that _situation_ that occurred a few days ago, but they both acted as if nothing had happened. So what was wrong with Will?

During lunch, he was also there and sat at the table where Cecily, Jem, Tessa, and occasionally some other people, was but barely talked to Tessa. When he did, it was just those necessities like "Pass me the salt" or something.

It was absolutely irrational. But since Will was ignoring her, Tessa decided to ignore him right back.

Later, in a class with Cecily (she was apparently 'precocious' according to others), Tessa had asked her. She shrugged and said, "This is normal. He's shutting everyone off. He always does this. Although no one knows why."

So Tessa went along with it.

After a while, she had begun wondering if it had something to do with his sister. After all, wounds like that never heal, even if though one might pretend it did.

She should have been used to this, but she wasn't. He was like that in her first days of school, so why should she think it's something different?

_Maybe it's because you're in denial,_ a voice in the back of her head suggested, she sighed, staring at the clock to see when school ends. She just wanted to get out of the place.

Tessa could no longer breathe in the classroom.

_Five…_

It was ticking painfully slow.

_Four…_

Not too long now.

_Three…_

Tessa clutched on to her things.

_Two…_

She prepared herself to stand up.

_One…_

The bell rang, cutting off the sound of her teacher's voice. "Until next time," Mr. Branwell said, looking disappointed that he couldn't finish his lesson. Tessa had to literally restrain herself from running to the door by gripping on to the edges of her book bag as if she was holding on for dear life.

She pushed the doors to the exit of the hallways and left, inhaling the fresh, cool air. She began walking over to where her car was, and in the corner of her eye, she spotted none other than James Carstairs, who just so happened to be walking towards her.

"Tessa," he said, his silver eyes glinting.

She immediately smiled. Just his presence was a comfort. "Hi," she greeted.

"How are you?" they both asked simultaneously. They looked down and chuckled.

Her eyes flicked upwards to meet his. "You first," Tessa told him.

"I'm very well, thank you. And you?" he asked. He placed both arms around his back, looking down at her. She was honestly relieved that there were actually people who were taller than her, such as himself.

Tessa sucked in a breath. Should she just tell him that she's also well, or should she just confess—without actually telling him that it had nothing to do with his best friend. She heard the sound of leaves rustling in the air from the trees behind her and bushes; flowers swaying in the wind.

Now or never, Tessa thought and said, "I'm okay, I suppose." Jem's face had a brief flicker of curiosity. She had just unintentionally given him a reason to be curious, Tessa realized. She mentally cursed. He might go prying for more details.

"How so?" Jem probed.

And Tessa was right.

She shook her head. "I'm fine. Really," she said at his skeptical expression.

Jem hummed and raised one of his silver eyebrows. "Right. I don't believe this has anything to do with, hmm, I don't know, _Will_, perhaps?" He grinned.

Tessa's heart sank and an expression of disbelief fell over her face. Did someone tell him anything? Was it Will himself? It seems logical after all, for they were best friends. Or maybe… Was it Cecily? A faint blush spread over her cheeks and she pressed the cold tips of her fingers against it to cool it off.

"No!" she exclaimed, completely flustered. "No it is _not_ because of him. I am _serious,_ James."

Jem chuckled. "I don't blame you. He's been ignoring the rest of us as well. One should be accustomed to this, after all. It's Will. Yet I still worry." Tessa felt relieved. _Good_, she thought. _He doesn't think anything else. He thinks I'm just concerned for him as a friend._

"He's not as bad as he seems, you know," Jem told Tessa.

She nodded once, probably just to make him feel better or something. "I know," Tessa said.

Jem looked around and his eyebrows shot up. "Oh, I'm sorry. Nearly all of the students have left already. Have I been holding you back from going anywhere?"

Her eyes widened. "No! No, not at all."

"I hope not," he spoke warily. Then he moved in closer and whispered, looking around as if he was telling a forbidden secret. Tessa laughed. "Or else your brother might be out to get me."

"Who knows," Tessa grinned, "he might be looking for you already."

Jem groaned. "I only hope that I die a hero's death."

"I wish you the best of luck, James Carstairs."

"It's highly needed," Jem said.

They both laughed and then said their goodbyes, and they both went their own ways, the sound of chuckling present in Tessa's ears.

* * *

"You're late," Nate said, flopping down onto the couch. "Anything you might want to tell me?"

Tessa almost laughed at that. It was extremely relevant to her previous conversation with Jem. "No, there was just some traffic," she lied. She wasn't too bad a liar, and Nate seemed to believe her.

"You bought something," Tessa observed, eyes scanning over a metal box decorated with red and white stripes.

Her brother shook his head. "Not bought," he told her. "It was a present."

"Whoever might've brought _us_ a present?" Tessa asked with mock disbelief. Her brother grinned at her and just shrugged.

"It was just lying there on the front door," he told her. "I've no idea of one that would've done such a thing."

Tessa hummed. "Well, you should open it."

"I was waiting for your grand arrival, but you were _late_." Nate pretended to look angry.

The corners of her mouth turned up. "Traffic," was all she said.

He sighed and carefully opened the lid revealing what looked like…

"Cookies," Tessa blurted out.

Nate shook his head. "Not cookies, but _biscuits._"

Tessa blinked. "What."

"They're called biscuits here," he explained.

She just stared at him, her face blank. "Those are not biscuits. Those are _cookies_. Biscuits are those bready things with a soft interior that you put butter or sometimes jam, or even honey on," Tessa spoke robotically.

"Not here," Nate said, picking one up and taking a bite.

"What," she said, her voice trailing off into a question.

Nate laughed.

"I refuse to call them biscuits when those are clearly cookies."

He shook his head. "In America, yes."

Deciding to drop the topic, Tessa picked one up and took a bite, savoring with each chew. "They're good," Tessa observed. He nodded once in agreement. "But the question here is who is the mysterious person who would send this to us?"

"Oh, well. Doesn't concern me. All I know is that these _biscuits_ are scrumptious."

Tessa agreed and took another.

* * *

**A/N: **_I've been on Tumblr far too much for me to write that ending. (PEOPLE SHIP AMERICA & BRITAIN. WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN. ((our ship name just so happens to be Libertea and Bramerica omg)))_

_Thank you all for the reviews, guys. They all mean a lot to me._

_And sorry for the lack of Wessa in this chapter *grins evilly*_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I'm sorry I couldn't update the last two days. I really wanted to and I just wanted to write this out but my Dad insisted on having a 'Family Day' on Saturday and on Sunday we went to Church and went to lunch and then we ended up doing all this crazy stuff and I was at the mall and I didn't even want to be there and…*sigh* I'm sorry, guys.**

* * *

**Previously…**

"_They're good," Tessa observed. He nodded once in agreement. "But the question here is who is the mysterious person who would send this to us?"_

"_Oh, well. Doesn't concern me. All I know is that these biscuits are scrumptious."_

_Tessa agreed and took another._

* * *

Tessa sighed. He was _still_ ignoring her. She saw him with another girl and her heart clenched each second she watched. She had given up then, and turned to walk to class, giving Jem a dark look, which he understood immediately.

Suddenly Jessamine walked up to Tessa, looking perkier than usual. Jem stood up and stood by Tessa, protecting her if something were to happen. "Hello, Tessa," she said with a wide smile that looked like it hurt. "I was just wondering: for our project, are you going over my house or are we going to yours, or… What's the plan?"

Tessa blinked.

"I guess I'll be going to yours and…how's Saturday?" She didn't know how to be in a friendly conversation with a considered enemy.

"Great," Jessamine said. "You live by Will, right? I'll pick you up around noon or so." And she walked away, without Tessa replying.

Tessa looked down. This wasn't good. Jessamine was out to get her. That much was obvious. Jem placed a hand on her shoulder and had a slightly confused look, but said nothing. She was grateful that she had a friend like him, and she smiled up at him. He returned it easily.

* * *

(_Will POV)_

Will had walked in the classroom minutes after it started. Mr. Lightwood wasn't there so no one really cared. He wiped his lips free of the lipstick that girl... What was her name? Ah, never mind that matter. But she had worn an enormous amount of sticky lipstick.

He had a smug look on his face that immediately fell when he saw Tessa and Jem smiling at each other with his hand on her shoulder. His fists instinctively clenched. But then he realized that this was Jem—Jem who was practically his _brother_. So why was Will so upset about this?

Tessa's gaze met his and for once in a long time, their eyes met. Her smile was gone. He literally felt shivers run down his back from the cold and sadness behind her gaze. Guilt tug at him, but Will reminded himself, _No. It won't happen. Not like Ella. Stay. Away. From. Tessa._

And they sat in their usual seats, a gap that seemed to last miles (but was actually not even a foot) between them.

* * *

(_Tessa_)

Today Mrs. Charlotte Branwell, the principal, came in their class that morning. She was small like a child, but she had that look of authority and determination in her that made her look taller. Tessa immediately liked this woman.

"Class," she said, her brown eyes bright, "Mr. Lightwood will not be here today, and since it's hard to find substitutes at such short notice, I'll be teaching today." Her eyes fell on Will's and Tessa saw that he was smirking, as usual. "Mr. Herondale," she said stiffly.

"Charlotte," Will drawled, nodding his head once. Everyone in the classroom looked at the two. She rolled her eyes and continued talking and everyone continued looking at her.

She, surprisingly, just had them watching some sort of movie, claiming she knew nothing about science. Not that any of them minded. Tessa, without realizing, looked at Will who had been staring at her. He winked at her, and Tessa immediately looked away, avoiding him and his stupid smirk. She felt heat rise up to her face and kept her focus onto the screen of the medium-sized television.

But then her curiosity got the best of her. She turned around facing Will. He looked uninterested. Trying to spark some emotion in him, Tessa asked Jem:

"Why do you think Jessamine's being…somewhat…nice to me?"

Will's head snapped and Tessa gave Jem a look as her eyes subtly flicked towards Will and back to his. His eyebrows lifted slightly as if he got the clue.

"I've no idea. You don't think…" he trailed off. Tessa widened her eyes. What if Jessamine plans on torturing her or something?

"I hope not," Tessa said, shivering.

"James," he said abruptly. "What's going on?"

Tessa tried to hide a smile. _Success,_ she thought. "There's a possibility Jessie may kill Tessa," he said casually. She tried not to laugh. "Although you missed it this morning. She was suspiciously nice to Tessa this morning."

Will looked at Tessa once. "What did she say?"

Jem sat back in his seat. "Ah, you weren't here. You wouldn't care." Tessa grinned into her hand.

"James," Will said again. "_What did she say._"

Tessa rolled her eyes. Her smile was gone and she said smoothly, "She's picking me up on Saturday for our project."

Will frowned.

Tessa crossed her arms. "Now, shh, Will, this is my favorite part."

Will stared at Jem and Tessa and actually looked troubled. _Good,_ Tessa thought, a smirk on her face.

* * *

(_Will_)

"Cecily, not you too," Will groaned. It's almost as if he's missed every conversation in the world.

"Sorry, but I'm going out with Gabriel." She shrugged. "You should do something with one of your friends."

"Can't," he grumbled. "Jem and Tessa are getting frozen yogurt."

Cecily grinned and said, "It almost sounds as if they're on a date."

Will scowled. "Don't even start," he snapped.

Cecily raised up her hands in surrender. "Hm, it sounds as if you're almost _jealous_, Will." He froze. Jealous? Will felt a lot of emotions, but jealousy was almost never one of them.

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous?"

"Mm, I don't know. But wouldn't you rather it be you instead of Jem with Tessa? Taking her out to get frozen yogurt… holding hands… Maybe even snog a bit." Cecily giggled when Will threw a pillow at her.

"As if," he said, shaking his head. It was after school and he had asked her if she wanted to go on the movies at the moment, but she had a date with Gabriel she had to get to. She put on her sweater and began walking down the stairs.

The problem was that all of his friends—even his sister—were ignored so much by him that it was almost like he hadn't seen them in ages, when in reality, it was only a few days.

According to Cecily, Jem and Tessa had gotten closer. Not at all happy with that statement, Will slumped at his window side, watching as a silver car drove in Tessa's driveway. He recognized the car as Jem's and his heart fell and jumped at the same time, giving him conflicting emotions.

He opened the door for her and Will saw that she was smiling at him, talking to him. They walked to her front door and they had a small conversation before they waved goodbye, and Jem drove off.

"I knew you were jealous," Cecily said, winking at him. He jumped.

"How the heck did you get there?" he asked, eyes wide.

"You have the keys," she replied. "Give them to me."

Will rolled his and handed them to her, which she gladly took and stalked out of his room, leaving Will to feel alone.

* * *

**A/N: **_Short chapter, BUT I'm working on another story! Yay :D I'll probably upload it when I finish this. Let's just say that Tessa's a security guard as well as Jem, Gideon, and Gabriel and Will and Sophie are not exactly sane._

_Feel free to guess. MWAHA._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story. _


	20. Chapter 20

**Previously…**

_I knew you were jealous," Cecily said, winking at him. He jumped. _

"_How the heck did you get there?" he asked, eyes wide._

"_You have the keys," she replied. "Give them to me."_

_Will rolled his eyes and handed them to her, which she gladly took and stalked out of his room, leaving Will to feel alone._

* * *

Cecily was upset. All of them knew that their brother had been back to his usual routine of being quite rude to people, but Cecily had enough. She wasn't buying it. She had already called Jem to come over soon.

She marched into Will's room on a Thursday night where he was writing something down under a lamp, and she immediately turned it off. He began protesting but she wouldn't hear it. "Come with me, Will."

"What? Cecily, what are you even—"

She yanked him away and dragged him down the stairs. He pulled himself out of his grasp but still followed her nonetheless. "So _now_ you learn," Cecily grumbled. He rubbed his arm and Cecily opened the door. Once they both stepped out, Cecily closed it, not even bothering to lock it.

They walked across the street and once Will seemed to realize where they were going, he shook his head. "No. Cecily, _no_."

"Yes, Will. Now shut up." She was done with him and his antics. Her voice held a stricter tone that she normally uses but it felt almost like everyone's friendships were falling apart. "William, when was the last time you hung out with James?"

He was silent.

"Exactly."

They walked up the side walk to her house and rang on the doorbell. It opened to an inebriated Nathaniel Gray. His eyes widened when he realized who she was.

"You…" he pointed a finger at her. "You're that Herondale person," Nate slurred.

Cecily nodded. "Yes… Is Tessa here?"

Nate held up a hand. "Teeesssieee! You have company!" The two Herondales exchanged a look.

A sleepy Tessa approached the door in a silky white nightgown and tousled hair. Her eyes were drooped and she had a sleeping mask on top of her head.

Will's eyebrows shot up and momentarily looked over her exposed legs.

"Nate, what do you want, I was _sleeping_," she said with a yawn. She then seemed to notice Cecily and then Will's amused look and then she jolted up with widened eyes. "Will, Cecily! Wha—"

"Sorry to interrupt your sleep, Tessa, but this is an emergency," Cecily told her.

Tessa slowly nodded, not really comprehending, and then quickly said, "I'll get dressed," and she ran to her room.

"You both can wait inside." He gestured for them to enter and they did, slowly closing the door. Nate narrowed his eyes and stared at Will, and crossed his arms. "I don't believe we've met." Will stared back with a raised eyebrow. They have but he was, as he is now, intoxicated.

"No, I suppose not," Will then said, putting out a hand. "William Herondale."

"Nathaniel Gray." They shook hands. Tessa then raced over to the two Herondales now in a gray sweater and blue jeans and boots, her hair brushed.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said, brushing herself off. "Bye, Nate." Her brother gave Will a wary look before saying "bye" back to her. They stepped outside of the house and Nate closed the door.

"Where are we going?" asked Tessa.

Cecily fumbled with her jacket. "Jem should be here any moment."

That didn't seem to answer her question. "Will?" He shrugged, not quite knowing as well. Cecily watched as a silver car came and parked right in front of them. She breathed out a sigh of relief.

Jem stepped out of the car with a curious glance and Cecily opened the doors for Will and Tessa to enter and she sat in the front. They were all confused and Cecily didn't even bother to explain. Tessa was still groggy from sleep so she rested her head on Will's shoulder with her eyes shut, humming softly. He didn't seem to mind and Cecily inwardly smiled.

"So where are we going?" Jem inquired.

"Hyde Park?" Cecily shrugged.

Tessa let out a soft snore and Will chuckled, wrapping his arm around her back for more comfort. "But at night?"

"I don't see why not."

"It's late," Jem pointed out. "Tessa's sleeping."

"Then wake her up," Cecily said.

The two boys seemed skeptical. Will then said, "Cecy, I don't think that'd be a good idea—"

"Fine. Later." Cecily rolled her eyes. "James, Hyde Park." Her voice was more commanding.

Jem sighed and then the car started moving. Tessa scrunched up her nose at the movement and snuggled into Will, who kept staring at her.

Seeing this, Cecily felt satisfied with herself.

* * *

When they pulled to a stop, Tessa stirred and mumbled into Will's upper arm. He shook her slightly. "Tess," he said. "Tess, wake up."

She let out a sound of protest. "I wanna sleep…"

By now, everyone's eyes were on the two of them. Jem and Cecily were snickering. Will sent them a poisonous look.

"Tessa," he squeezed her arm.

Her eyes fluttered open and met his. "Will? Will, why are we—? Where are we? What?" She looked around frantically. Then she gasped with a look of disbelief. "Oh my God, did we _sleep_ together?"

By then, everyone in the car but Tessa laughed. She seemed to just notice Cecily and Jem. Tessa slapped Will's arm. "Did you guys kidnap me?"

Will shook his head. "You fell asleep. But we're at Hyde Park right now."

Her head tilted up and the moonlight that seeped in from the back window shone in Tessa's gray eyes, making them look almost silver. "Oh," she spoke, still in a sleepy haze. Her face was milky white and small dark shadows were casted in her cheeks and under her cheekbones.

"Yeah," Will said quietly.

"This is all very sweet, but I thought we were going to the park," Cecily deadpanned. Will snapped out of his trance and opened the door and they both walked out. Jem was already out, throwing the keys in the air and catching them repeatedly.

Will's sister got out and they started walking together in the silence, the sound of insects chirping flooding the air. They spotted a body of water and Jem laughed, walking over to Will.

"Remember when you tried to convince me to feed a poultry pie to the mallards in this park to see if you could breed a race of cannibal ducks?" Jem inquired.

Will shook his head. "How could I forget."

Tessa stared at them both. "You mean to tell me that that experience was _real_?" She rubbed her eyes, blinking away a head rush.

"Why would I lie?"

Tessa shrugged and just stood next to Cecily. As they continued walking she seemed to become more and more awake.

"Have you ever been here before, Tessa?" asked Jem. He was being polite and it had become quiet after a while.

She shook her head. "Never. But it's lovely." She yawned. Will had to admit that he was getting a little tired as well, and what Cecily was doing still hadn't made sense to him, but he spending time with them was sort of needed.

Cecily brightened. "James! Jem, look over there!" she dragged him over at pointed. "You can see the London Eye!"

He nodded with mock excitement and a grin. Tessa laughed. "Yes, yes you can, Cecily. Haven't you seen that before?"

She frowned. "No."

Jem sighed. "This is the part where you're going to take me over there with you, right?"

"Of course! Come along, Jem."

Jem sent Tessa and Will a look that pleaded for help and Will just smiled innocently and waved. Jem scowled.

"Have fun, you two!" Tessa said, raising her voice.

"Don't try anything with my sister!" Will shouted. Jem sent Will a dirty look.

Tessa sighed, sitting down on a bench. Will took a seat next to her and noticed that she stiffened slightly. It was awkward and quiet between the two of them and Will distinctly heard crickets in the cool night air.

He crossed one leg over the other and stared straight ahead, watching as Cecily shook her head and insisted something. He chuckled quietly.

"We have not spoken in a while," Tessa said softly, avoiding his eyes.

Will looked at her in puzzlement. "Yes we have."

She looked down. "Yes, but not _really_ had a conversation."

Will was silent. He looked up and to his disappointment, there were no visible stars in the sky. "No," he said after a moment. "No we have not."

"Why?" she inquired.

Will took in a sharp breath. Must she ask these questions? "Tessa, you wouldn't know…"

"Then _tell_ me. Will, I—I want to understand you," Tessa said earnestly, her clear gray eyes blazing.

Will let out a bitter laugh. "I wouldn't see why anyone would want to do that."

Tessa didn't seem exactly happy with this answer. "Jem," she said suddenly. "Jem understands you."

"I don't think anyone understands me. Not even Jem. Could we talk about something else?" He desperately wanted to steer away from this conversation, especially with _her_ of all people.

She nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry." He said nothing. Tessa's eyes shut momentarily before opening them again.

"Are you still tired?" he asked, amused.

"No." But a small yawn escaped her lips.

"You're lying."

"No I'm not."

"Save the lies."

"_Will_."

"_Tessa_," he mocked.

"This is eerily starting to sound a lot like our first encounter."

"You're not wrong there."

She threw her arms up exasperatedly. "Okay, fine, I _am_ tired. Happy?"

Will grinned. "Incredibly so. I was right," he said cheerfully.

"Unfortunately."

"That is not unfortunate."

"Oh, shut up."

He laughed and by that time, Cecily and Jem came back and he said that he was going to drive them home. Will volunteered that he would, but Jem insisted that it'd be easier if he drove, which Will complied with in the end.

"Tessa, your tiredness is infectious," Cecily told her.

"I'm so very sorry," Tessa said flatly. Jem chuckled.

He dropped them off home with a wave and Tessa walked over to her house and Cecily and Will's to theirs. Cecily asked him, "So, did you have fun?"

"I'm tired," he told her in a bored tone.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I know." He closed the door to his room in front of her face. "Good_night_, Cecy, and let me sleep."

"Sleep is for the weak," he heard her sing before going to her own room.

"Hypocrite!" he shouted and she laughed in the distance.

* * *

**A/N: **_Oh, wow, we're already on chapter 20._

_I was _going_ to add a Wessa kiss here but decided not to since I couldn't really find the right situation to do it. __SORRY *Evil laughs*_

_OKAY so I had this video game and stuff that my older brother gave me a few years ago but the disk is damaged and stuff so I talked to my_ younger _brother (I have four brothers and no sisters. Oh, joy.) (Three of them live in different states though) and so I made a PowerPoint to show my parents something on eBay (their money, not mine) on reasons they should buy the game because I've been dying to play it. So I made it and guess what._

_They actually bought it._

_HA._

_I included in it that they didn't have to get me anything for my birthday and that I'd be grateful for just that game, and my dad sent me an email from working saying:_

**Happy birthday.**

I literally screamed.

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own The Infernal Devices._


	21. Chapter 21

**Previously…**

_Cecily asked him, "So, did you have fun?"_

"_I'm tired," he told her in a bored tone._

"_That doesn't answer my question."_

"_I know." He closed the door to his room in front of her face. "Goodnight, Cecy, and let me sleep."_

"_Sleep is for the weak," he heard her sing before going to her own room. _

"_Hypocrite!" he shouted and she laughed in the distance._

* * *

Tessa was in her theater listening to her teacher, Mrs. McGrath talking about the joys of acting, and that she would like for them to act as well. As in improv. As in like right now.

It was one of the classes she had with Will and Gabriel which made the whole period rather amusing with their incessant banter. She sat in between the two because putting them right next together would cause a war, surely. But yet, their arguing never seemed to cease, even if she was in the middle of the two.

Mrs. McGrath called up the students she wanted to come up. "Tessa Gray," she said first. She groaned mentally. Why did every teacher pick her for improv? Was she just an easy target?

"Gabriel Lightwood." Meh.

"Jessamine Lovelace." No.

"And William Herondale." How convenient.

They all stood in the front of the stage. Tessa rocked back and forth on her heels, standing closer to Gabriel and farther away from Jessamine and Will. She smirked at Tessa and Tessa gulped.

"Okay, for this scene, the topic is unrequited love."

_NO,_ Tessa thought with widened eyes. _NO, PLEASE, __**ANYTHING**__ BUT THAT._

"_And,_ I want there to be at least one kiss." Tessa nearly threw up then and there._ NO, WHY WOULD YOU EVEN _SAY_ THAT._ The class looked uninterested and she was feeling woozy.

Maybe she should pretend to pass out to get out of this situation.

She desperately wanted to get off the stage and go home.

"Gabriel loves Jessamine, Jessamine loves Will, Will loves Tessa, and Tessa loves Gabriel. Got it?" Mrs. McGrath said quickly.

They all blinked.

"What?" Everyone in the classroom said in unison.

The teacher sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and briefly checking the clock. She said slowly, "Gabriel loves Jessamine."

They both grimaced.

"Jessamine loves Will."

She looked satisfied, whereas Will did not.

"Will loves Tessa…"

They both didn't know how to respond to that.

"And Tessa loves Gabriel."

They both exchanged a look.

"And action!" Mrs. McGrath shouted, sitting in her director's chair. Tessa and Will stood off to the side awkwardly, both avoiding each other's gaze and the scene. Tessa stared at the ground. _Wood,_ she thought uncomfortably. _I love wood._ Right now, she'd to anything to distract her from Will and Gabriel and Jessamine.

She would actually do anything to get off of this stage.

Gabriel tried not to grimace as he looked over at Jessamine, who_ was_ grimacing. He whispered to the teacher, "Can we use fake names?" She shrugged.

"Susan," Gabriel said, shifting. "I've been madly in love with you for the past few years, will you please marry me?" he asked in monotone. _Good for Gabriel,_ Tessa thought. _Cutting it to the chase. Very good._

"No! I cannot!" Jessamine cried out. Tessa covered her mouth and bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing outright. She was being overly dramatic. "Alas, I am in love with someone else! Therefore I cannot marry you. I'm so sorry." What the hell? Was she (obviously fake) sobbing? What?

Mrs. McGrath didn't seem too impressed, but she said, "Erm, okay. Switch." Gabriel walked off to where Tessa was, and where Will was getting off to go to the front.

Jessamine threw herself at him. The audience was snickering and Tessa really, honestly, tried with all of her might not to do so. But it was too good. The teacher even had to hide a smile. Will just looked 1,000% done with Jessamine.

"Jonathan!" Jessamine sobbed. Will stared at her as if he was almost scared of her. Tessa pinched herself hard in the arm. _Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh._

"Susan…?" Will looked at her oddly. The audience laughed. But Jessamine was too in-the-zone to notice. Tessa facepalmed herself.

"Jonathan, I love you," Jessamine said, sobbing into his shirt.

"Uh, there, there," he awkwardly patted her back which erupted more laughter from the class.

"I love with you with all of my heart and soul, Jonathan. I've turned down many many _many _rich suitors just for you." She stroked his face.

Will tried not to recoil from her touch, anyone could see that. "Susan," he announced, "I'm afraid that I do not love you. You are a," he coughed, "um, kind girl—really. But yeah, no." He shook his head. Tessa couldn't help herself. She laughed as well as many other students.

Jessamine deflated. "What," she spoke softly. But then her voice rose. "_What?_"

Tessa heard him whisper, "Jessamine, control yourself. Improv, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," she nodded. _Ditz,_ Tessa rolled her eyes at her.

Mrs. McGrath seemed relieved that Jessamine would be walking off the stage. "Switch," she announced.

_The kiss,_ her teacher's voice echoed in her mind. It was either Will or Gabriel. Tessa swore incessantly in her mind.

Tessa walked up to Will. _Jonathan,_ she reminded herself. He better choose a really pretty name for her or else he's going to—

"Isabelle," he started. _Good enough._ Her heart was already racing from being at the front of the stage. Did she have stage fright? Because she was literally going to die. Immediately he kissed her and Tessa could no longer process any more coherent thoughts.

His lips were soft against hers and it took her four seconds to respond. Will cupped her face and deepened the kiss, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. And then he pulled away. The class was whooping and Tessa's face felt like it was on fire.

She momentarily forgot what she was doing and where were they at. Then she remembered she was in theater. She was playing Isabelle and he was Jonathan. Tessa was struggling for air. Her voice was meek when she said, "Yes, Jonathan?"

The class had settled down gradually and he was running his fingers through his hair. Tessa's heart was going to explode at any moment. She was going to faint. _Something_ was going to happen. 'Jonathan' had begun pouring out his love for her.

Tessa interjected, "Jonathan, it doesn't matter…"

"I know that if you hate me it is because I have forced you to. I know that you have no reason to give me a second chance to be regarded by you in a different light. But I am begging you for that chance. I would do _anything_."

Tessa was impressed by his improv skills. But of course, it was unrequited love. "No, it isn't possible…"

"It is, it must be," he immediately said. "You cannot hate me as much as all that—"

"I don't hate you at all," she said, with great sadness.

"Then there's a chance," Will said. "If you do not hate me, then there's a chance that you might—"

Tessa wasn't exactly sure what she should interrupt but she said it, hoping it wasn't too cliché. "I am sorry, Jonathan," she spoke. "I do not love you. I love—er, um—Stephen! I love Stephen."

"Switch!" Mrs. McGrath said, a twinkle in her eye. Will walked off the stage, winking at Tessa. She flashed a grin at him.

Gabriel walked right up to Tessa. She pretended to look absolutely delighted to see him. "Stephen," she greeted. "I've been awaiting your arrival." She hit herself. That sounded stupid. But so far it's been kind of a mash-up of time, so…

"Have you, now," he spoke, sounding quite bored.

She nodded once. "Yes. I have been meaning to tell you something. You see I've come to admire you over the past few months. I was wondering that you might, well, reciprocate those feelings?" She pretended to sound hopeful, her voice getting higher per word.

Gabriel gave her a grim look, shaking his head. "I am so very sorry, um—Isabelle." He took her hand. "My feelings for Susan are too great. You're a very lovely person, but I'm afraid that I cannot love you. It would be unfair to Susan. Although I hope we can still be friends," he suggested.

Tessa sighed, looking down. "I understand, Stephen. Thank you for your honesty. And I hope so too."

"Give them a round of applause, students!" Mrs. McGrath exclaimed, causing everyone to follow her orders.

Tessa was blushing once more and she whispered to Gabriel, "Good Lord. That was probably the worst thing to happen at school _ever_."

He grinned at her. "Oh, come on Tessa. I'm not that bad, am I?" She laughed, shaking her head.

"Seriously though. You and Jessamine?" she whispered.

He shuddered. "Just imagining it is dreadful enough." She giggled before taking a seat next to him and Will who gave her a thumbs up. She smiled shyly and Mrs. McGrath asked who they thought was the best.

No one rose their hand, just blurted out their thoughts at once. What really made Tessa laugh though was the fact that literally_ no one_ said Jessamine's name.

"Will and Tessa!"

"Tessa and Gabriel!"

Those two statements floated around the classroom. Will nudged her. "Seems like you did a nice job, Tess."

She rolled her eyes. "Please. It was either that, or Jessamine." Will scrunched up his nose at the sound of her name.

Mrs. McGrath gave the three of them a look of approval and the three of them smiled at each other. "Good work, you three," Mrs. McGrath praised.

Suddenly Jessie stood up. Will rolled his eyes. "What about me," she demanded, stomping once.

The teacher turned around to face her and attempted a smile and everyone kind of said, "Ehh…" Jessamine scowled and sat back into her seat.

Then her teacher continued on with class—or at least the last fifteen minutes of it.

* * *

**A/N: **_This took me a while to write. Sorry I didn't update sooner. I went to the movies yesterday and saw Oz The Great and Powerful. It was kind of cheesy, but nevertheless, a good movie. I liked the ending though with the whole projector and the Wicked Witch(es?) _

_Anyway, this is based off of _**tealshoelaces**_'s review. And this wouldn't be their first kiss, they've kissed before. But not under good circumstances, really._

_But yeah. Review please :)_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story because I _did_ actually use some Clockwork Prince dialogue here, so. Yeah._


	22. Chapter 22

**Previously…**

_Then her teacher continued on with class—or at least the last fifteen minutes of it._

* * *

Tessa sighed, alone in her room. This silence was what she needed. Even if her brother was out 'working.' Stupid Pandemonium Club.

She flipped the page of her book, eyes flicking from left to right for each paragraph, but she was too distracted to do anything. Tessa was extremely tired. Yet when she attempted sleep, she could not, and that had been infuriating.

It was Friday after school. She had no work to do so she settled in dressing in sweats and a tank top. She might as well get comfortable, after all.

Not knowing what to do, Tessa turned on the TV. She tried paying attention, but it was almost exhausting to her brain. Too many things had been on her mind. That _and_ she was tired.

She hadn't even bothered with a book.

That's when she knew that it was serious.

But she just _couldn't sleep_ and it was totally unfair to her. She closed the blinds so her room would be darker, and that would produce melatonin, and she would sleep.

Wrong.

If anything, she had become even more distracted. She had been tempted to look over her phone, and had slipped under the temptation. Tessa grabbed her pillow and smashed her face in it, groaning in frustration. She wanted to sleep. So why couldn't she sleep? It's all she wanted.

And then she realized that the motion of slamming her face in a pillow had actually helped in a way. It had all been done so quickly that it almost overwhelmed her brain. Seeming like it gave up, Tessa could feel her eyelids becoming heavier. She nearly smiled in success but a yawn interrupted it.

Closing her eyes, she awaited eagerly for sleep to overtake her.

That is, until her doorbell rang.

Tessa got up from the bed, fuming. She threw off the sheets on her bed, not even caring how they looked. She had a scowl on her face and she marched down her stairs indignantly. Her hands were in fists and she approached the door, swinging it fiercely just to express her anger.

And there he stood.

Will Herondale, his arm raised to ring the doorbell. He stared at her, an eyebrow raised. "Nice outfit," he commented, an odd look on his face.

Tessa sighed, about to close the door but he caught it with his foot. For once, could he just leave her alone? Tessa just wanted to sleep. Was that _really_ too much to ask?

She was about to question him, like usual, but he said, "You know what? It doesn't matter." A confused look spread over her face. He was up to something. He wouldn't just come over to her house to visit. Will grabbed her hand, about to lead her out of her house.

"My shoes!" shrieked Tessa as she looked back. He cast her an annoyed look but stopped, pinching the bridge of his nose, gesturing her to go do just that. As she slipped on her boots and put on a jacket, she told him, "Will, I'm not even properly dressed. It's cold out there and there's no way I'm going out in a tank top—even if I do have a jacket—and sweats."

Will was irritated. "God, you're stubborn. 'Dress properly' if you must. But it won't really matter anyway."

She looked up at him. "Where are we doing?"

"A place. Go get dressed, I suppose." He spoke each word clearly, in a tone that made her silent and run up the stairs to her room.

She shut the door, locking it and ran over to her closet. She quickly put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Tessa, in all honesty, didn't really want to go anywhere that day. Or do anything. Sleep sounded nice. That's what she had actually been _trying_ to do in the first place. Tessa was slightly angry at Will for interrupting what she'd wanted to do for a while.

But of course, she would hide that because that's not exactly a good enough reason to be mad at him. Will would only laugh at her ridiculousness. She combed her hair hastily before nearly throwing the brush near the sink, leaving a loud clanking noise. She felt a chill run through her spine. (Tessa absolutely hated noises like that. Or when a pencil's eraser had run out and she'd erase with the scratching noise there and sending shivers to spread throughout her body.)

She went downstairs, quickly grabbing her phone on the table. Will took hold of her wrist, dragging her to his car. She went in the passenger's side and he gripped onto the wheel, pulling out of her driveway. She glanced at him curiously, but didn't question it.

The look on his face had been enough to shut her up.

Will looked impatient and ready to hit something. So she said nothing. She didn't want to get on his nerves. That would be a mistake.

They left her neighborhood but as soon as they departed from it, there was a major traffic jam just ahead of them. Will sucked in a breath and all she could do was watch him. "We're going to have to take the other way," he muttered under his breath, teeth gritted.

Tessa looked down. The vehicle turned around but of course, there was traffic on that side too. Tessa got up a little bit in her seat and spotted an ambulance. She didn't say anything because that would surely perturb Will.

He rolled down his window and the sound of honking cars was so loud, Tessa jumped. He sighed, rolling the window back up.

Tessa's voice was small and meek when she said, "Are you all right?"

She wished she hadn't said anything. Will turned sharply and looked at her with a death glare, causing Tessa to slowly inch away until her back hit the car door. Will's face softened, although not by much. He let out a breath.

"I don't even know." Will leaned forward, glancing over at the rows of cars in front of them. He swore, hitting his hands on the wheel. "I've condemned us both to the same fate," he murmured. Tessa rolled her eyes. He was being a little dramatic there.

But the question was, what was he even intending to do? Neither Cecily nor Jem were here. "Will," Tessa said slowly, enunciating each word, "where were you taking me? Why am I here? _Me_, of all of the people you know."

The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. "So you've come to realize how very fortunate you are to be in the presence of myself—"

She cut him off, holding up a hand. "Not," Tessa said, "what I meant. Answer the question."

He laughed once, the first one in a while. "Which one?" he asked, a smirk forming on his lips.

Tessa rolled his eyes. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of repeating it for him. "Forget it."

Will raised his eyebrows. "Oh, come on, Tess."

She held in a breath. "Why am I here?" Her voice came out sharper than she intended.

He shrugged. "I've asked myself that a million times already." Tessa couldn't even summon the energy to scowl at him. She slumped in her seat.

"Whatever."

He looked at her and studied her. "Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed today." Of course he'd say that; especially after recent events.

Tessa shot up and glowered, her eyes meeting his. "Actually, you know what? You're right. Because I've had trouble sleeping, and when I'm _finally_ about to, you come marching up to my door. So you can't expect me to be enjoyable at the moment." She wasn't exactly sure what compelled her to tell him that, but it's already been said. Kind of unnecessary to say, actually. But there wasn't really much she could do about it now.

But Will only looked at her in amusement. "You're quite the sleeper, aren't you?"

"Shut up, Will, I'm not exactly happy with you right now," she said, crossing her arms and avoiding his gaze.

"Why ever not?" A glint of playfulness flashed in his eyes.

The cars began moving again and the traffic was beginning to clear up. He breathed an exhale of relief and began driving forward. "Finally," he breathed. Will looked over at Tessa who was determined on staying upset with him to prove her point. "You were saying?"

She sent him an agitated look. "I wasn't saying anything."

"You were going to."

"No I wasn't."

"No, but I would've liked you to."

"Shut up for a second!" Tessa exclaimed. She was getting a phone call. And it was her brother.

He glanced over at her before turning his eyes back on the road. "Why?"

"Because I need you to. My brother's calling." Will nodded once in understanding.

She pressed answer, bracing herself for yelling. "Tessa?" her brother's voice sounded through her phone.

Tessa bit her lip anxiously. "Yees?"

"Where are you?" Nate was actually calmer about this than she thought he'd be. "You're not here." His voice was soft and quiet which was peculiar.

She looked through the window. She was absolutely foreign with the area they were in. "I'm with…" She looked over at Will. A friend? He was her friend, in a way. Kind of. Yes? "I'm with a friend."

"_Who_, exactly?" Nate inquired. "You've got to be more specific than that."

"Yes, I realize." She placed her phone under her leg. She whispered to Will, "Please don't get offended if I say I'm not with you."

"I'm with Cecily," she said, swallowing.

"Okay," he said easily. "I'll see you later, then."

Tessa hung up, a bit unbelieving. "That was…really easy."

Will brightened. "We're here," he told her with a grin that was enough to make her heart drop. She stepped outside of the car and inspected her surroundings, narrowing her eyes.

Will saw the look on her face and chuckled. He swung an arm around her and she instinctively pulled away.

"This is…" She stood there, completely befuddled. "This is a library?"

"Obviously. But it's, well, abandoned."

Tessa stared at him. "An _abandoned_ library. How much of an idiot are you?" Will grinned at her. "Anything with the word 'abandoned' in front of it concerns me. And the feeling's worse, with you around."

"Thanks," he said dryly. Will walked up ahead of her, and not knowing what else to do, she followed him.

He opened the doors for her and she was taken aback. "Will, this is…"

"Back to that, are we now," he murmured as he passed through the place. He changed the topic. "I go here sometimes when I want to be alone."

The place, of course, it being a library, was surprisingly vast and filled with countless bookshelves to the point where it was like a maze, almost. The books themselves looked dusty, as if they haven't been read for years, which was probably true.

The only light that was here seeped through the windows, although it was dark outside. Tessa noticed that Will had somehow acquired a match, lighting up a few candles. She wondered where he got them, but didn't ask. She gaped at the large variety of books in the shelves.

"Will, I…" she faltered. He looked over to her, his full attention on her. "Why did you bring me here?"

Will walked towards her, ushering her to leather chairs she hadn't noticed before. He took a seat in one of them, and Tessa was sitting opposite of him. He crossed one leg over the other, violet-blue eyes meeting stormy gray ones.

"Honestly," Will said. For a second a look of uncertainty flashed over his features and Tessa couldn't help but deflate. His mouth was opened, but no words were coming out. Finally, he spoke, "You love to read, do you not?"

Tessa's eyes searched his, looking for something in his eyes. What she was looking for, she wasn't sure. "Yes," she said after a while. "But that can't be the only reason for you to have brought me here."

Will shrugged. "Would you like some water?" He was avoiding the question, but at the moment, she didn't really care. She was parched, and some water would be lovely.

Her head bobbed up and down. "Yes, please." _Of course he had water in here_, Tessa thought. _If it was a place he would go to when he wants to be alone. _But did he really visit so often that he would sometimes replace the drink with a fresher one?

He stood up and sauntered into another room in the back. He quickly came back with a glass cup filled with water and gingerly laid it onto the coffee table that stood before them both. She whispered a "thank you" before reaching out to grab it.

Will seemed to be watching her every movement then, as she brought it to her lips and swallowed. She was a bit uncomfortable in his gaze and didn't look back (because how awkward would that be?), and then placed the glass back on the table.

"Thank you, Will," said Tessa sincerely.

He cocked his head to the side and leaned in a bit. "Come again?"

"I said," Tessa took a shaky breath, "thank you."

Will seemed truly astonished that she would say such a thing, as if he were not used to people thanking him. "Are you being serious?"

Tessa smiled. "Yes. No one's ever done something like this for me before. And this is your private place, and here you are, sharing it with me. You didn't have to do this. So thank you."

She barely heard him when he said, "No one besides me has come here before. Not Jem, nor Cecily. Not anyone."

Tessa blinked. "Really? I'm the first?"

He nodded. "Yes," he said slowly. "No one really understands. When you talk about a book to others, does it get you a little bit disappointed when people don't really take interest in it, or when they say it's _boring_?"

Tessa had begun to think that she was the only person in the world who actually cared for books these days. "All the time. I've never heard of a person who says otherwise. Besides you, of course."

Will beamed. "Exactly. Tess, you're the only one who understands what it's like. Cecily's tried, and while I appreciated it, I could tell that she wasn't really enthusiastic about the whole idea."

Tessa felt very special in that moment. "Thank you," she said again. "Really, Will, thank you."

He smiled at her. "Now I'm assuming you want to take a glimpse at the books now, seeing as we're being surrounded by them." Will stood up, holding an arm for Tessa to take, which she took with a slight blush.

"Of course," Tessa tried saying indifferently, but she was bursting with excitement on the inside.

They each picked out a book. She found _The Woman in White_ by Wilkie Collins and Will simply observed her, discreetly pulling out _The Hidden Hand_, flipping through the pages while watching Tessa. Eventually, she stuck with _The Woman in White_ as well as three other books, each by one of the Brontë Sisters.

Will had blown out some of the candles with Tessa's help. He had also moved the curtains (which Tessa had not noticed before), covering the windows. The library was pitch black and Tessa couldn't see anything. She was absolutely terrified when Will had snuck behind her, and he laughed.

He pulled on her arm, escorting her to the doors. He pushed them open, allowing light to enter the grand building. Will led Tessa to his car and they both stepped inside and he started the vehicle. They drove out of there, and now driving at a later time, the traffic cleared up by then.

Tessa leaned forward, arm reaching out for the radio. She looked at Will for permission and he nodded his head. The volume was low and she turned it up a bit, and sounds of a melancholy piano began playing. _Wow,_ Tessa thought, raising her eyebrows. _Who would've guessed that this is the kind of genre of music Will likes listening to?_

Not that she didn't like it herself. It was absolutely beautiful and tragic at the same time. It calmed her down and cleared her thoughts. She closed her eyes so the only thing she would focus on is the sound of the piano playing.

About five or six songs played by the time they had gotten to their street. Will parked right in front of her house. She opened her eyes, unlocking the door and reaching for the latch to open it. She stepped outside of it, standing on the nearby sidewalk.

"Bye, Will," Tessa said before he could drive back to his house. He glanced up, his blue eyes bright before giving her a half-smile.

"See you on Monday, Tess." He waved once and he drove toward his household, and Tessa strolled on the path that lead to her front door. She raised her hand, fingers curling into a fist and knocked on the door, almost immediately revealing her brother there. He pulled her inside and Tessa closed the door and locked it.

"Where were you?" Nate asked, although it came out casually instead of the rough tone she was expecting to hear.

"I was at a library with a friend," she told him, shrugging once, holding up the books for proof. He eyed them before nodding and walking into the living room.

Tessa marched upstairs, clutching tightly onto the four books she had in her arms. She entered her room, placing three of them on her bookshelf and walked away with _The Woman in White. _

One thing was for certain: there was absolutely no way Tessa would be able to sleep now.

* * *

**A/N: **_Okay, so I made this chapter a little longer for you guys. I couldn't update yesterday because it was Father's Day and I spent the whole time with my family. On Saturday, I had a huge case of writer's block, so please forgive me. But writing these chapters require a lot of effort, and I really do try to update about daily. And I can't just stay on my computer/iPod Touch/whatever absolutely ALL the time. Sometimes I go out with my friends or with family._

_So please be patient with me, readers._

_On another topic, if you liked this chapter, please follow/favorite and review! I love when you guys write them out for me, I read each and every one and I love them all. They're the reasons why I'm still writing this. :)_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned here. If I did, I would certainly not be on FanFiction or anything, but…_


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: **_Okay, so I'm really sorry I didn't update. I had a _horrible_ case of writer's block so I'm sorry for the not-so-great chapter._

* * *

**Previously…**

_One thing was for certain: there was absolutely no way Tessa would be able to sleep now._

* * *

Today was the day. Jessamine Lovelace would soon pick Tessa up to go to her house for the project.

Tessa was constantly checking her window to see if she had arrived. Nate kept sparing odd glances at her and had eventually asked her, "Tessie… Are you okay?"

To which she would reply, "Yes, I'm fine."

Cecily eventually came over and she told her to "calm down" and that she'll go with her if she wanted.

Tessa frowned. "No, it's okay. I'm fine. I'm not nervous."

She raised an eyebrow. "I never said you were. Tessa…" Cecily gave her a questioning look when she suddenly jerked out of nowhere. Tessa exchanged a look with her friend with a look of terror. There was Jessamine in her car, stepping out and walking to the door.

Tessa mentally scolded herself and forced herself to walk down the stairs and open the door when the doorbell rang. Jessamine stood there with her perfect gold hair and perfect face and everything. But she was smiling. And it wasn't a smirk or anything. It was just a smile.

This was…suspicious.

"Hey, Tess." Jessamine grinned. She flinched. Only Will called her that. It was kind of weird hearing it from someone else. "Ready to go?"

Cecily had already walked up to the two girls, giving Jessamine a warning look. Jessamine froze for a second, before returning to her smiling façade. She took hold of Tessa's arm and Cecily watched the two leave with narrowed eyes before returning to the Herondale house.

* * *

When she walked inside, she thought her parents would be home. But no, as usual, they were not. It was supposed to be their day off but Cecily stumbled upon a note in the kitchen that read: _We're out for dinner. See you both at eight. _

And that was it. No 'I love you' at the end like there was in TV shows. She sighed, pushing the note aside and went to her brother's room. He sat in a desk by the window and turned his head to see who was behind him. When he saw it was Cecily, his eyebrows barely jumped once and then his head moved back to whatever he was looking at.

She crossed her arms.

"William," Cecily said, taking a seat on his bed. He ignored her. "Jessie just drove off with Tessa—"

"Let's go," Will said simply, standing up from his seat and grabbing a coat before walking down the stairs with his sister. She said nothing but followed him.

They were both concerned that something would happen to Tessa. Will didn't really seem to flaunt it, but Cecily knew he was. He was sort of tense at the mention of the topic.

The thing was Jessamine couldn't really be trusted. Everyone knew this. And even though she practically worshiped the Herondales, they weren't really friends—Will's play toy, yes, but not friends. And Jessamine harming Tessa was just horrible. She had been all smiles, but there was something going on.

They went inside their mother's car. She wouldn't really notice, since they both knew their parents wouldn't _just _go out for dinner. Will slammed on the accelerator and drove to Jessie's house.

* * *

Jessamine opened the door and let Tessa enter in first. Her house on the inside looked like one of those model homes Tessa's parents used to take her to see for fun when she was a child and the place smelled like lemon disinfectant spray. Jessamine's heels clicked on the polished wooden floor and she took Tessa with her to the backyard.

Tessa scratched her arm. The awkward silence was back. She didn't really have anything to say to Jessamine. She wasn't exactly on the best of terms with her.

They sat down in the chairs around a small table near the window outside. It was one of those places where people in commercials have lemonade and laugh when they drink it.

"So," Jessamine said, "what should we do? Mr. Lightwood gave me a list of things we could choose from." Out of nowhere, she pulled that very list out and laid it in the center of the table.

"Um…" Tessa leaned in to take a look at it. "How about genetics?"

Jessamine shrugged and said, "Sure. I don't really care which one."

This was going easier than Tessa expected. "Okay, then. So how do you want to do this? We have to write an essay. Do you want me to write it? Or do you want to collaborate?" Tessa didn't even bother asking if she wanted to work on it. Jessamine wasn't going to write the essay on her own; that was a fact.

"Uh, how about I work on a poster?" Jessamine asked instead.

Tessa nodded with a short "okay." Leave it to Tessa to be good with wording.

Time was going by rather slowly for the both of them. Tessa just wanted to go home. Jessamine was being too perky but anyone could see that she wasn't sincere in her politeness. But Tessa appreciated the effort.

* * *

Meanwhile, Will had pulled into the house parallel to Jessamine's. Cecily stared at him and he looked just…bored; void of any emotion. She hated when he was like this. It didn't hurt to show some emotion.

"Can I turn on the radio?" Cecily asked. She was starting to grow uninterested in the idea of just sitting in the car for a half an hour. Not only that, she also forgot to bring her phone. The knowledge of having no internet connection frightened her.

"Of course not," Will said casually, staring out of his window. She glared at him, even if he wasn't looking at her. Cecily sighed. "We just got here, Cecy." He faced her.

"I know, but still."

Will rolled his eyes.

"Did we bring any snacks?" Cecily queried. "I'm hungry."

"We just ate."

"_You _just ate. I was at Tessa's."

"You're lucky," Will said. He looked into the back seat and pulled out a banana. She stared at it. "What? It's a banana."

Cecily threw up her hands. "I _know_ it's a banana!" she snapped. "Will! Out of all the things you could've gotten, you took this. Of _all things_."

"I thought we had established that, but yes, yes I did," Will said. "I've brought other things, too. Do you not _like_ bananas?"

She didn't look at him when she said, "Of course I do. What else did you bring?"

Will sucked in a breath and muttered, "Girls," before outstretching his hand to reach for a small basket. "Here."

Cecily observed it briefly before grabbing a bag of crisps.

"Incredible." Will shook his head. He snatched out his phone from his back pocket. Cecily's eyes widened.

"Give me that," she practically snarled.

Will looked horrified. "Cecily, you've become a monster. No, I shan't."

"I just want to text Tessa," Cecily told him innocently. He stared her down for a moment before relenting. "Thank you."

Deciding to stay true to her word, she typed out: _Hi Tessa, how are things going over there?_

Tessa responded minutes later with, _She hasn't threatened/harmed/murdered me yet, so I'd say it's going pretty well._

"What did she say?" Will asked. Cecily smiled inwardly. She liked how he was around Tessa.

Cecily showed him their texts with him leaning in to see, and then he chuckled, sitting back in his seat.

Things were going slowly and the two siblings agreed on 'taking turns' on the one phone to keep them from being bored, and snacking occasionally. That is, until Tessa walked outside the house.

* * *

Basically Tessa and Jessamine worked in silence. It turns out that Jessamine actually had some poster paper for projects so that was useful. She had let Tessa use her computer for typing. She had looked up everything she needed from twins and heredity to Punnett squares. It left Tessa exhausted in the end, but it was actually not so bad working with Jessamine, which had been completely unexpected.

By the time it was one-thirty, Tessa informed her that she would have to get home soon, remembering her brother's orders to get back at two.

Jessamine nodded and said, "Okay. Um, is the essay finished?"

"Pretty much. We just need to add in the bibliography and we're done with that," Tessa told her.

"Oh, alright. I can finish that. You can start packing up; I'll take it from here."

Tessa tried not to narrow her eyes in suspicion, but took her jacket and purse with things like pencils in it. By the time she was done, Jessamine turned over to her and smiled. "You did a really good job on this," she praised. This was not something Tessa was used to.

"Um, thanks." She scratched behind her neck. "Can I look at the poster?"

"Yeah, of course." Jessamine led her to where the poster laid on the dining table. It was white poster paper and it had letters glued onto the top that read "GENETICS by Theresa Gray and Jessamine Lovelace'. It had actually looked pretty professional, for it had the topics and the basic information on it, and pictures hovering above it.

"Wow," Tessa said. "Nice job," she complimented.

Jessamine looked proud. "Thank you."

Tessa walked over to grab her purse. "Well, um. I guess I should be leaving now." Jessamine escorted her to the front door. They said their goodbyes and Tessa left, closing the door gently. Once she stepped outside, she noticed a black vehicle before the houses across from Jessamine's that held two familiar figures.

Tessa took a step closer and squinted her eyes, but then she realized it was probably just the people who lived there. Tessa hummed, and sauntered to her car where she drove home.

* * *

Cecily and Will let out the breaths they were holding. "Do you think she saw us?" Will asked.

His sister was looking at him, her chest heaving. She couldn't even imagine the fury that would run over her. "Hopefully not. Although if she did, I would imagine she would approach us."

"True." Will nodded. "Shall we go home?" Cecily muttered a yes and they drove off.

* * *

By the Tessa arrived on her street and parked in her driveway, she mumbled a hello to her brother. Tessa was suddenly bored and called the Herondales' to see if Cecily and/or Will wanted to hang out or something. Perhaps with Jem.

She grabbed the telephone in the hallway and dialed the number. But there was no answer. She tilted her head. How odd.

But then again, she had texted Will's phone not so long ago. Curiosity overwhelmed her—her brother _had_ said that it was her most besetting sin. She bit her lip and stood in the hallway for quite a long time, before giving up and just walking downstairs to where her brother was.

"Hello, sister," Nate greeted with a smile. She nodded her head once in acknowledgement.

"What're you watching?" she asked, her eyes flickering between the television and her brother.

He replied with, "Just a movie."

Tessa gasped, covering her mouth with her hand and pointing a finger at the screen. "You're watching Sense and Sensibility!"

"This is why I can't watch these movies with you around."

Tessa laughed. "Fine. I've already seen it millions of times anyway."

When she left, she spotted Cecily's phone on a small table by the staircase. She stared at it before picking it up and marching to her house.

Tessa raised her fist to knock on the door, and when she did, silence was all there was. Tessa tried again. Nothing.

_Oh, silly me,_ Tessa thought before pressing on the doorbell.

Nothing.

Soon enough, the exact same vehicle she saw across from Jessamine's house drove in and parked by the sidewalk. Tessa's mouth dropped.

And out came Cecily and Will. Before they saw her, she held up her fist once more as if she were about to knock and then they spotted her.

"Tessa!" Cecily exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" Her voice seemed a little anxious.

Her tone was suspicious when she said, "You left your phone at my house…"

Cecily grinned with a certain happiness that was a little overdone. "Oh, did I? How foolish of me, sorry." Tessa held out her hand with the phone in it and Cecily took it eagerly.

Tessa glanced at the car, and then at the two Herondale siblings before her, and then back at the car. Then Will came up behind Cecily and noticed this.

Suddenly it clicked.

"Where were you?" Tessa hoped she didn't sound too demanding.

"Ummm…" Cecily nervously looked at her brother.

"We needed to get some things at a store," Will said smoothly, eyes meeting Tessa and not unwavering for a moment.

Tessa then crossed her arms. "Really now," Tessa raised her eyebrows, "because I just saw the most _interesting thing_. A car, eerily similar to that one—" Tessa pointed at it, "—just so happened to be across the street from Jessamine's house. Care to explain?"

Cecily exchanged a look with Will. They were both speechless. "I—uhh…"

Tessa then smiled, pressing her lips together, and surprising them both. "Stalkers," she teased with a wink before walking back to her own home. Will and Cecily were both flushed and frozen. She gave them a playful wave from the distance and then entered her house, laughing silently.

* * *

**A/N: **_Okay, so I'm combining these chapters. I had to "sleep" yesterday since my parents have absolutely no idea that I stay up till three to four in the morning. And my computer makes really loud typing noises and I swear they have ears of hawks. They can hear everything. If I dropped a paperclip onto the floor (which is carpet) they would hear it. _

_So I go on my iPod Touch lol. _

_But that's basically why. _

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	24. Chapter 24

**Previously…**

_Tessa then smiled, pressing her lips together, and surprising them both. "Stalkers," she teased with a wink before walking back to her own home. Will and Cecily were both flushed and frozen. She gave them a playful wave from the distance and then entered her house, laughing silently._

* * *

She should've been a little creeped out seeing Cecily and Will follow her, but in all honesty, she really wasn't. In a way, it kind of showed that they cared for her. Well, it was either that, or they were just _really_ stalkers. Tessa decided to go with the former.

She spent most of her Sunday reading the books she'd gotten from Will's library. She's read them all before, of course, but the fact that she'd gotten it there made her feel giddy and just happy. It was much more special than what she could've gotten at a regular library.

When it was Monday, Jessamine immediately ran (or what was an attempt in heels) to Tessa with a grin—a genuine one this time—and exclaimed, "I finished the project!" She seemed truly happy about that and Tessa was foreign to this new Jessamine, but decided to roll with it and congratulate her.

About a week later, Will seemed a little grumpier than usual, but Tessa decided to ignore it, since this is how he usually is, according to everyone else. So instead she talked to Jem while Will sulked in his seat.

Mr. Lightwood had announced that the class should be nearly finished with the projects and Jessamine and Tessa made eye contact, before looking back to their teacher. After that, he briefly went over the lesson and then they got their forty minutes of free time.

Tessa's mind was blank, and if she were to have some sort of discussion with the two boys, she might as well ask something about schoolwork or something to avoid any awkward conversation.

"So," Tessa said, shifting in her seat, "did anything interesting happen in the past few days?"

Will slumped back in his seat and said, his tone bored, "You know what I have been doing. After all, you're _always there_." His voice became harsher towards the end. Tessa scooted back once, her gray eyes wide.

Jem looked at his friend with a scolding look. "William," he said sternly, "be nice."

But Will ignored Jem and muttered, "I need some fresh air." And he stood up, and walked away with Tessa staring after him with curiosity and a bit of surprise.

She looked over at Jem. Now Tessa had seen many sides of Will: whether he was in a good mood, or a bad mood. She had no idea how to react, or any idea of what was up with him. It seemed that Jem had no idea as well. So instead of just sitting there and allowing their lives to move on, Tessa stood up.

Jem gave her a look. "Tessa, do you honestly think that he's going to be, well…" He searched for words. "Pleasant?"

Now that she thought about it, probably not. But at the moment, she couldn't really bring herself to care. "Oh well." She left the classroom and searched the hallways for the familiar boy with the luminous dark blue eyes, pale skin, and dark hair.

She couldn't find him there, so she considered checking the balcony. After all, he said he needed some fresh air. Tessa found the stairs that would lead up to that point and climbed up them. She hadn't really thought about what she was going to say, but decided to just let it happen. Surely if she made some long speech, she'd forget it on the spot.

Being alone made Tessa painfully aware of everything going on in her surroundings. The only sounds she could hear were the loud footsteps her shoes made on the wooden stairs that echoed through the building. Of course, Will, Jem,—and even Cecily—were all extremely graceful and wouldn't even make a sound. It seemed as if they were incapable. Tessa could only dream to be like that. But she was not, or at least as much as them.

Light began exposing itself to Tessa. Instantly, she shivered. Wind had struck her hard in the face and she immediately regretted not bringing her jacket, which was left in the classroom. She searched around and finally spotted him. She was surrounded by a waist-high wrought iron railing. At the far end of the balcony stood Will, leaning against the railing.

* * *

Jem wasn't quite sure if he should go check on the two. Surely there'd be some sort of trouble occurring. After all, it was Will and Tessa. And he was in one of his moods, and he couldn't bear to see Tessa as a victim in his state.

He was considering it, and he had an idea of where Will would be lurking. But sometimes it was just best to leave him alone. That way, everyone else could go on with their lives and would just be simply better off. Most people would stay behind and let him just sit about.

But not Tessa.

Tessa was too curious for her own good. It could be a fault, or a virtue, but in this case, Jem couldn't really decide which. She could either drag him out of this depressing state, or just suffer as a consequence. Perhaps he should go after them…

But she was also strong. Hopefully, anything that he might say might not get to her. She'll know better than that. Tessa's smart.

But he couldn't help but hope for her.

* * *

"Will," she said. He didn't move at all. Tessa held in a breath and was starting to grow impatient with him. "Will, what are you doing?" Her voice sounded more demanding this time, and firmer.

He gave no response. But he was still, the only sound made from his soft ragged breaths. It wasn't that he was bothered by her or Jem. It was the fact was that Tessa was becoming closer to him, to finding out each and every one of his secrets. With that inquisitive mind of hers, it wasn't impossible.

She probably even knows about his sister. Ella, who could've lived a long, wonderful life. It was what was supposed to happen. But no, not anymore. And it was his entire fault.

And there she stood, Tessa Gray looking as confused and as vexed as ever. Young, beautiful Tessa Gray who deserved much more. It pained him what he was going to do then.

"I was just wondering," he said, his voice impassive, "about Blake. '_And I behold London, a Human awful wonder of God_.'" He knew she knew what he was talking about. About how Milton believed that Hell was a city. "Sometimes I cannot help but think that that is true."

Tessa was caught by surprise. "Will." She sounded startled. "Will, what is it? What's wrong?"

He ignored her.

"Okay…," she said slowly. Why couldn't she just leave? Everything would just be much easier. "I'm nearly finished with the books," Tessa told him cheerily. "How or when should I return them? Do I just give them to you, or…"

"Just keep them." His voice was dead. Will nearly winced at how lifeless he sounded.

"Oh." And all cheer had left her voice. "I was just concerned—"

Will spun around, trying not to look her in the eye. Her gray eyes were the color of the mist in Wales. It reminded him of his childhood. He chuckled humorlessly. "You were concerned," he echoed.

Tessa nodded once to confirm. "Yes, and I still am." She was looking up at him with a determined look and her jaw firm.

He cocked his head to the side, just slightly. "Why?"

Tessa deflated and a flash of irritation crossed her eyes. "Why must there be a reason? Aren't we friends?"

_Friends_. At the moment, he hated the word.

Will didn't reply. He turned back around and stared, unblinking, at the sky until his eyes began to ache. He hadn't realized that Tessa moved closer to him until she placed a hand on his arm. He flinched.

With her this close, everything will only be harder. "Tessa," sighed Will. He noticed that a flicker of hope flashed in her eyes. "Please leave," he pleaded. And the hope was gone.

She took a step back, but then stayed where she was. "I will leave," Tessa swallowed, "if you tell me why you're acting like this."

Will cursed. He should've known she would do something like this. "Tessa, I'm being serious."

"As am I."

For a minute, they just stared at each other, her eyes blazing. She looked at him expectantly but at the moment, he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"Tell me," she said, her voice insistent and arduous.

And he let his anger take over the best of him.

His hands tightened on the railing, until his knuckles were white. "For once, could you just be quiet?" His voice was harsh, and he was disgusted at himself. "You don't know how to just shut up. I wanted to be left _alone_, Tessa. But apparently, you don't seem to be able to comprehend the idea, do you?" He didn't look at her. He didn't want to. "I don't want you here," he finished.

"Is that so?" Tessa said, but her voice shook just a little. Will felt the guilt jab him in the stomach. "I'll leave you," she mumbled quietly.

Will breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally."

Tessa's face flushed red with what Will could assume was fury. But it didn't sound like she was furious when she spoke. "Can you actually believe that for a second, I thought you weren't actually some kind of jerk," she spat.

Will was quiet.

"Goodbye, Will." He knew she wasn't just talking about then. She meant as a friend. Or whatever they were. And she spun on her heel, and left.

* * *

Jem, noticing how long it was taking for them to have this conversation, immediately made his way to the balcony. It's where Will sometimes went when he was agitated. He would be there now, surely.

But as he approached the stairs, he spotted Tessa with raw hurt on her face and her face was faintly red. She looked so vulnerable, that Jem frowned. For a moment, gray eyes met silver and Tessa squeaked out, "_James_," before he pulled her into a hug. She buried her head into his neck and wrapped her arms around him. He held her tightly against him.

In an attempt to make her feel better, he gently pulled back and proclaimed, "We shall throw him out onto the streets. I promise you he'll be gone by morning."

Tessa gasped and stared at him in disbelief. "You—you're not serious… Are you?"

Jem was grinning. "Of course not. But you felt better for a moment, didn't you?"

A smile graced her lips. "Yes," she admitted. "I'm sorry."

Jem sighed. He and Will were going to have a serious conversation later. "It's Will who ought to be sorry. Don't worry, Tessa."

"Thank you, Jem," Tessa said earnestly. He smiled at her, and they walked back to class.

* * *

**A/N: **_I had to rewrite this chapter so many times guys, sorry it took so long to update so this might not be a good chapter (I cringed so many times in previous versions). IN OTHER NEWS, what just happened in this chapter was totally necessary for future chapters, so don't hate me yet._

_Everyone's reviews are so kind, thank you all. They're greatly appreciated._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	25. Chapter 25

**Previously…**

_Jem sighed. He and Will were going to have a serious conversation later. "It's Will who ought to be sorry. Don't worry, Tessa."_

_"Thank you, Jem," Tessa said earnestly. He smiled at her, and they walked back to class._

* * *

Lunch was the most awkward thing in the world.

Cecily had noticed some tension between Will and Tessa. He was joking around as usual, but he didn't talk to Tessa, and only her. Jem and Cecily, yes, he talked to them. When the two did talk, it was things like, "Can you pass the salt?" in murmurs.

Jem and Cecily had exchanged looks. This was…strange.

She decided to lighten the mood. "So!" She clapped her hands. "Tessa! My birthday's coming up and—"

"Cecily…" Will shot her a look.

She ignored him. "I'm throwing a party on February 7th. It's at a place called Club Pandemonium, you want to go?"

Tessa shot up at 'Club Pandemonium.' "My brother works there! It's a club? As in an _actual_ club?" Will scoffed and she shot him the dirtiest look Cecily had ever seen, before dropping her gaze and looking everywhere but at him. Cecily would soon investigate on that topic.

"Yeah," Cecily nodded. "So you want to go, or…" Will was mouthing to Cecily with his hands flying all over the place: _No, Cecy. No!_

Tessa shrugged. "Uh, yeah, sure. I'll go."

Will groaned. He covered his face with his hands. "Great," he mumbled. "Just great."

"Shut up, Will," Cecily hissed. "What's wrong with you two anyway?"

They both refused to talk, crossing their arms and looking away stubbornly. Jem caught her eye, and he shook his head with a warning look. _I'll tell you later_, he mouthed. She silently nodded.

Cecily pushed her food in front of her, no longer hungry. She threw some of it away in the trash can, sitting there until they were excused.

* * *

"Are you okay, Tessa?" Sophie asked her carefully. There were back in the class with Tessa's favorite teacher, Mrs. Matthews discussing clauses and such. She had her back turned to the class and the two girls were whispering to each other in class.

"Yes," Tessa whispered. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Sophie shrugged once. "Well… You seem a bit…_off_ today. Did something happen earlier?"

Tessa bit her tongue. Had she really been that obvious? Although she had to admit, the events of that morning had done more harm to her than she thought. "I'm fine. Nothing happened," she lied.

She gave her a skeptic look before sighing and listening to the teacher. Tessa mentally cursed herself for being as obvious as she was. She attempting paying attention in class, but she was too distracted. Did she really just accept the invitation for Cecy's party? Tessa wasn't really the "party type" and besides—_Will _was going to be there. And everything would be all weird and there'd be a lot of people and – ugh, no.

Anyway, Sophie and Gideon had been talking more often. Instead of him just ignoring the world, or at least not caring, he would talk to her. Tessa was insanely proud of them and was really happy. It was sweet.

Also, everyone started calling Kyle "Nurse Kyle" because of the improv session. Tessa kind of felt bad about it but Kyle didn't really seem to care. After a while, he had started laughing as well. Of course, as funny as it was to the rest of the class, it was funnier with Julian, Tessa, Sophie, Gideon, and Kyle. Sometimes they'd hang out in hallways and people would ask them why they are laughing, and they would reply that it was an inside joke.

"Tessa, something _is _wrong. Tell me!" she insisted.

Tessa was tense and she hadn't even realized it. "Nothing is wrong. I promise."

"I hate when you lie." Sophie scowl.

She raised an eyebrow. "Do I lie a lot?"

"No," Sophie told her, "but I can tell when you do. You're a horrible liar."

Tessa frowned. "Am I really?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Tessa scratched the back of her head. She might as well get it over with. But she didn't want to tell her in a public place such as this. She trusted Sophie. She was trustworthy. "Fine, I'll tell you. But not right now."

"After school?" she whispered.

Tessa nodded but then shut up as the teacher turned around to face the class. She, as subtly as she could, mumbled, "Ladies' room?"

She heard a faint "okay" from Sophie.

"Miss Collins, do you have something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" Mrs. Matthews asked with a small smile on her face. Sophie immediately flushed a dark, dark red. Everyone's heads turned to look at her. Tessa muttered a sorry.

Gideon looked at Sophie and grinned at her. She returned a sheepish smile. "No, Mrs. Matthews," she mumbled quietly, looking down as if she were ashamed.

Mrs. Matthews hummed, before continuing her lesson.

As it turned out, the lesson actually took up the majority of the class so they didn't really have to do any work (not that anyone was complaining). The bell rang and Tessa's heart sank. _Theater._

She went to her locker to put away some books and grab a journal but Jessamine had approached her. "Hey, Jessie."

"Don't call me that," she hissed. Jessamine looked around frantically before dropping her voice to a whisper. "Look, I know what happened with you and Will."

Tessa's heart stopped. "You _do_?"

Jessamine rolled her eyes. "I know everything that happens in this school." Tessa gulped. "No offense, but at least you finally learned to back off."

She looked up, tilting her head slightly. "What?" she asked, completely fazed.

Jessamine scowled. "Don't think I didn't notice you and him acting all… 'buddy-buddy' or whatever. Now that he's finally broke your heart, you haven't talked to him all day. Except this morning, but…" Jessamine waved it off as if it were nothing. Tessa felt like she was drowning and felt the need to gasp for air.

Desperately wanting to get away from this conversation, Tessa mumbled, "We have to get to class."

She stared at her. "We? What?"

"We both have theater together, remember?" Tessa reminded her. And she didn't want to be late either.

"Oh," Jessamine said blankly. Tessa rolled her eyes and gently took her wrist, making her follow her to Theater.

* * *

Tessa constantly told herself in her head,_ Don't sit next to Will, don't sit next to Will. _She didn't really want to be near him anymore. Just thinking about him made her mad. Although the seat between Gabriel and him was empty, she decided to sit in the other empty seat next to Gabriel.

She saw in her peripheral vision Will staring at her and she bit on her tongue to keep her from shouting at him. Gabriel sent her a curious glance. "Are you alright, Tessa?"

She swallowed and again, noticed Will jump in his seat, just slightly. "I'm fine." But he voice cracked a bit. "I'm fine," she said again, her voice firmer this time.

"Just making sure. You're acting…different."

Tessa scowled. "If I had a nickel for _every time_ someone said that to me today, I'd be rich. Gosh."

Gabriel rose his hands up in surrender. "Sorry I asked…"

She frowned. "Sorry. I'm fine, really."

Mrs. McGrath stepped in the front of the class as soon as the bell rang. She had her hands held together, and looked very cross. "Okay, class, I forgot to file some paperwork and I must do it now. But I can't have you do nothing, so get in groups of three and take one sheet of paper from the front desk and use that as your inspiration."

_Groups of three_, Tessa repeated in her mind, biting her cheek. Jessamine went up to Tessa, although not with a smile like the last few times. "Tessa, come on, we're in a group."

She raised her eyebrows. Since when did she agree to that? She was about to tell her off when Will suddenly was next to Tessa. Her heart began thundering in her chest.

"Actually, I was about to ask Tessa if she wanted to join Gabe and I. Isn't that right, Gabriel?" Will shot him a sharp look, and Gabriel nodded slowly. "And I didn't hear Tessa agree to _your _offer, so…"

Jessamine huffed. "Well I didn't hear her agree to your offer either!"

Will glowered at her. She whimpered, then Will gave Tessa an insisting look. Tessa was beyond confused at the moment. "Fine, which group would you rather be in, Tessa?" he asked in a smooth voice.

_If any time is the best time to pass out, it would be now,_ Tessa thought. "Um, I'll go with you, I guess. Sorry, Jessamine. Maybe next time?" Jessamine snarled and stomped once like a child, before turning on her heel and walking back to some of her 'friends.'

She felt really weird walking back to Gabriel with Will. She kind of felt like screaming, and it didn't help that they weren't talking to each other. Tessa avoided any contact with him, whether it was physical or just simply eye contact. She refused to look at him or touch him or anything.

Closing her eyes, she whispered, "What are you doing, Will…"

He walked stiffly as he grabbed a piece of a square-shaped paper. "I rescued you from Jessamine, didn't I?"

She sighed. "I don't need to be rescued."

Will snorted. "You'd rather be with her?"

Tessa was silent.

"Exactly."

_That doesn't mean I want to be with you either, _Tessa thought bitterly.

* * *

After school, Tessa walked to the bathroom immediately where Sophie stood. She looked at her expectantly. "Well?"

"Inside," Tessa told her. They walked inside where there was a group of girls putting on makeup and fixing their hair.

"Everyone, out," Sophie said in her most commanding voice. Everyone instantly left at her words, an ocean of girls struggling to get out of the place.

Once they left, Sophie asked, "So what is it? What's wrong?"

Tessa looked down shyly. "Well, Will Herondale…"

"That's all you needed to tell me," Sophie interrupted. She sighed and hugged her. Tessa was taken aback, but hugged her back nevertheless. It comforted her. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

Tessa shook her head. "It's okay. I'm fine." She was tired of saying that to everybody, but it was true. She was fine. At least, she thinks she is.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Sophie asked once she let go. Nate was supposed to pick her up but it might be nice to have Sophie to talk to. Tessa nodded a yes and quickly texted her brother that her friend was going to drive her home and that he didn't need to.

He replied minutes later with: _Okay._

Tessa sighed and they both went into the parking lot where Sophie's car was, and they drove home.

* * *

**A/N: **_Bad chapter. I know. I couldn't really think straight though because I was playing soccer/football (depends on what country you're in) and it's blazing hot where I live so we were playing indoors. __The thing is, in my living room, we don't have carpeting. So it's just tile._

_Anyway, so I was playing and I tripped over my little brother (he's trying out for a team and I was helping him practice) and I fell and banged the side of my head REALLY hard on the ground. I had this massive headache and, like I said, couldn't think straight and was later told that I had a concussion, so…sorry about that. _

_But in other news, Cecily's having a birthday party and I've already got that chapter written up. I just need some more chapters to connect it to that and then I'll wrap it up and then maybe an epilogue, and then the story's finished. So I'd say there's going to at least be 30+ chapters in this fanfic._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story. _


	26. Chapter 26

**Previously…**

_Tessa sighed and they both went into the parking lot where Sophie's car was, and they drove home._

* * *

Tessa approached her brother in the living room. He had a glass of liquor in his hand with a lime in it. She sat down on the couch. She was scowling.

"So," Tessa said. "Club Pandemonium." Her voice was flat and emotionless. Nate's eyes widened and he downed the glass.

He smiled uneasily. "Tessie…"

"It's a club. As in an _actual club_. How could you not tell me this?" Tessa demanded. In all actuality, she wasn't really all that upset. It's just that that day had been rather tough on Tessa so she was acting kind of moody. She didn't mean to be harsh, but could she help it?

Nate was silent.

Tessa shook her head. "Never mind." She stood up and was starting to walk away but her brother stopped her by saying her name. She stopped and turned around.

He asked, "Could you get me some ice?"

Tessa made a frustrated noise and marched upstairs to her room, locking the door. She wasn't going to read this time. If she read, she would be reminded of Will. She texted Cecily earlier but she was out somewhere with her mother (which was a first). Maybe she could hang out with Jem?

Perhaps.

The more she thought about it, the more it started sounding like a better idea. She needed calm, and Jem was practically the definition of calm and level-headed.

She snatched her phone from her back pocket and dialed in his number. He answered almost immediately. "_Hello_?" his voice came through.

"Hi Jem, it's Tessa."

"_Tessa_," his voice sounded cheerful, "_how are you_?"

_Not great_. "I'm good." She twirled a piece of her hair. "Hey, I was just wondering if you want to go somewhere and just hang out. If you want," she added hastily.

She heard him chuckle. "_Sure, of course. Do you have a place in mind?_"

Tessa hadn't really thought about that. "Um…no. Hadn't really thought that far, sorry."

The noise of footsteps climbing up the stairs sounded through her room. Tessa mentally cursed. Her brother was probably coming up to check on her.

"_We can just go to my house or something_," Jem said. "_No one but me is there."_

"Okay," Tessa said. "Are you suggesting something, James Carstairs?" she teased, albeit half-heartedly. The day had kind of worn her out and she just wanted to get out of the house.

Jem laughed. "_Not at all, Miss Gray._" She was grinning but it subsided as Nathaniel Gray stepped through the door with a raised eyebrow. "_I'll be there in about twenty minutes._"

"Bye, Jem." They hung up and Tessa looked up at her older brother.

"Jem?" Nate asked. He looked thoughtful, as if he were remembering something. "Oh! The nice one?"

Tessa smiled faintly and nodded. "He's picking me up in about twenty, more or less."

Nate smirked. "What, are you going on a date or something?"

Tessa's face went red in less than a second. She shook her head furiously, "N-no! Why're you here?"

Nate sighed. "_Because_ I wanted to apologize." He scratched the back of his neck. "I'm sorry for not telling you—but it pays well. How did you find out?"

"Cecily's birthday party is there," she answered as casually as she could. _Hurry up, Jem,_ Tessa thought impatiently. She just wanted to get out of the conversation and Tessa was starting to feel like she was suffocating.

"Oh?" Nate grinned. "This might mean that I can embarrass you, yes?"

"_NO_."

He scoffed. "Fine, I won't." He started walking away. "I'll leave you alone now. Bye, Tessie…!" He shut the door and left Tessa alone, smiling just a little bit.

* * *

Jem came by quicker than she thought. He rang the doorbell and Tessa ran to the door, but her older brother beat her to it. He was grinning at Tessa and she thought, _Great. Another grinning idiot I have to deal with._ Then she was hit by a pang of hurt, for she had just unconsciously reminded herself of Will.

As soon as they left, Nate shouted, "_Don't do anything I wouldn't do!_" which caused Tessa to walk back and slap his arm and then returned to Jem.

They entered his car and they just talked for most of the time. Tessa already felt better. There weren't many cars around since it was a school day so they got there quickly.

When they had arrived, Tessa spotted a clean white house standing alone. "No neighbors?" Tessa asked.

He shook his head. "Nope. We kind of wanted to be alone."

"I see," Tessa said. "I like your house."

"Thank you." They walked inside and the whole interior was remarkably clean and just neat. There was hardwood flooring and the walls and furniture were black and white. There was a wide dark brown bookcase against the wall by the door. There weren't many books there was a fair amount.

Tessa felt like she was in some sort of futuristic house judging by the whole appearance. It was fascinating.

"Wow," was all she said. He smiled at her and they sat on the white couch in the center of the living room.

* * *

Will saw the whole entire thing.

Cecily was out shopping with Linette Herondale and Edmund was working. He'd finished his homework ages ago. So there was really nothing to do.

So instead he began writing poetry for fun. He wasn't writing whole-heartedly so it didn't really come out that great. Of course, he was writing on his desk, which was right next to a window. So in the middle of his writing, he saw his _best friend _stepping out of his car and approaching _Tessa's_ house.

Just thinking of her name made Will miserable.

He had scheduled a meeting with Magnus Bane who could surely help him. It was almost as if Will was cursed, and everyone he loves just gets hurt. Ella is a great example.

But then he realized how stupid he was after a long session of contemplating at night. Tessa was fine until he opened his mouth and started talking on the balcony. Now she probably hated him. He wouldn't blame her if she did.

But the main question was—why was James Carstairs, who was practically Will's _brother_, with Tessa Gray?

She was blushing and Will gritted his teeth, unconsciously breaking the pencil he had in his hand. He cursed.

He really hated his life.

* * *

**A/N: **_Sorry for the short chapter, but I really wanted to update today. OKAY so I'm working on this other fic for TID and I really like it so far. Instead of an AU, it's in Victorian London just like in the books. I'm really proud of it and I'll probably post it when this story's done as well as my others because I really need to catch up on them._

_I'm really sad though because one of my favorite fanfics on here is gone. Some of you might know it, it's called Down the Rabbit Hole and it has to do with the seven deadly sins and it's just simply brilliant. But I can't find it and I'm just really upset about it._

**(And yes, indoor soccer is stupid and not encouraged. But it's insanely hot outside where I live—people have been passing out from the weather and some go to the hospital because of third-degree burns from touching the cement outside—and so we couldn't really go outside.)**

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	27. Chapter 27

**Previously…**

_But the main question was—why was James Carstairs, who was practically Will's __brother__, with Tessa Gray?_

_She was blushing and Will gritted his teeth, unconsciously breaking the pencil he had in his hand. He cursed._

_He really hated his life._

* * *

Tessa looked through her closet. February 7th wasn't that far away, but it wasn't too close either. So she figured this would be the perfect time to look for something.

They were going to Club Pandemonium, so she could wear a dress—as long as it wasn't something like a ball gown, no.

But unexpectedly, her phone rang. Tessa was surprised and knew it wasn't Jem, Cecily, or Will. This was a different ring tone. But who could it be?

She looked at the Caller ID. When she read the name, she felt ice freezing her veins in pure terror and in that moment, could not move.

_Jessamine Lovelace._

Just her luck.

She took a calm steady breath before pressing answer.

"Hello?" Tessa said into the phone.

* * *

Cecily yawned. She was beyond tired and desperately wanted to be entertained. She had considered watching TV, but remembered that that couldn't be an option, since all her favorite shows ended their seasons and didn't come back until like November or something.

Then she brightened. She had never gotten many chances to read, and this could be one of them. Maybe she could read one of the books from Will's collection. She could read _Great Expectations_. Tessa does speak very fondly of that book, so Cecily could give it a try.

She eagerly walked to Will's room, and discovered that the door was closed, which was rather peculiar. She knocked on his door, still in a good mood, when Will fiercely replied, "_GO AWAY, CECILY._"

Cecily took a step back, shocked. What happened to him? He seemed fine earlier.

But recently, he'd gone back into one of his moods. As much as Cecily hated when that happen, she wanted to find out. She didn't like being oblivious.

She took a step forward and opened the door, barging into his room. Her eyebrows lifted. Will had headphones in his ears and the volume was so loud that she could even hear the music. Angry, staccato, loud music.

The bed he was laying in was unmade and his bookcase was tilted against the wall, on the verge of a fall. The books had all fallen out, or at least that was a more reasonable explanation for that. The desk he would sit in to do work and was all neat was now filled with crumpled papers and wasn't straight up against the wall like normally, but slanting to the left.

There was a pile of clothes by his closet lazily thrown on the floor.

"Will!" Cecily exclaimed in horror. "What have you done?"

He looked at her as if he noticed her for the very first time. Then he scowled. "I told you to go away. Did I not make myself clear?" he asked, voice rising. She took a step back.

"Y-yes…"

He looked her expectedly. "Then leave."

Cecily stood her ground. "No. At least clean your room."

"_Leave_."

"_No_."

Will slammed his fist into the wall. Cecily winced. He cursed in Welsh, and Cecily took another step back. She frantically walked back into her room and pulled out her phone.

_Tell me what happened_, she sent.

She stared at her screen for about ten minutes, and then she got her reply:

_I'll be right over._

* * *

"Hello?" Tessa said into her phone.

Jessamine's voice sounded sweet and pleasant. "Tessa! Hi, it's Jessie, and I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out today."

Tessa stared blankly at her phone. "_What_?" she spluttered. "Jessamine, are you okay?" she asked slowly and carefully, honestly thinking something was wrong with her for wanting to spend time with Tessa. Honestly, Jessamine didn't _like_ Tessa, and when she pretended to, it was extremely obvious that it was staged.

Jessamine laughed. "Don't be silly, Tess." Tessa went rigid. Only Will called her that, and she wasn't exactly on the best terms with him at the moment. "I think we could be really good friends."

Tessa narrowed her eyes, even if she wasn't facing Jessie. "I don't know…"

"Oh, come on, Tessa, no one likes a skeptic."

"I have plans," she said automatically. Thankfully, it sounded pretty convincing to her ears. "My brother and I are going somewhere today."

"Oh," Jessamine said, sounding disappointed. "Maybe I can go?"

Tessa sat on her bed, crossing her legs. "Eh… I don't think so, we're going pretty far out."

Jessamine was silent.

"And we're just going to do stuff that _we_ _Americans_ do for old times' sake," Tessa continued, silently laughing at her excuse. "You wouldn't want any part in that."

When she remained silent, Tessa said, "Maybe next time," so she wouldn't hurt her feelings.

"Okay. Bye Tessa."

And she hung up.

Tessa collapsed on the bed, letting out a loud sigh of relief. It could've been a trap, for all she knew. Jessamine wasn't exactly one to be trusted, and so suddenly too.

She didn't want to deal with this. Sometimes she wished she stayed in New York. She didn't have as many problems. There was no Jessamine or Will or anyone. Things were just simpler.

But at the same time, she didn't think she'd ever regret meeting Will, no matter how much he'd hurt her.

* * *

There was a knock on the door and Cecily's ears picked up on that from upstairs in her room. She was a blur of movement on the stairs and opened the door, panting heavily.

Jem stood there looking concerned. "Are you all right?" he inquired, tilting his head. "You look as if you ran a marathon."

Cecily nodded, but not in agreement to his last statement. "I'm okay, but Will isn't. And it appears that I'm the only one who doesn't know."

Jem chuckled at her indignation, but grew serious immediately.

They sat down on their couch and he began explaining.

By the time he was finished, Cecily was fuming. "_By the Angel_!" she shouted furiously, kicking hard at the nearest wall. It hurt, but she wouldn't show her pain. She was stronger than that. "Come along, James. _We_ are having a chat with my beloved brother."

But he stopped her by grabbing onto her wrist. He sighed and shook his head. "Cecily, I don't think you should—"

"Are you saying that you're just going to let him get away with crushing Tessa?" she asked, face flushed from anger. She unconsciously put her hands into fists. Then she muttered, "I warned him about this, _and _her. Then I got all stupid and supportive. Ugh. I disgust myself."

"Look, Cecily." Jem onto her hand sympathetically. "You have no idea how much I want to murder William," he said calmly, "but I—we—are not going to because first of all, it's illegal. Second, I don't think there's a way to get through Will's head."

Cecily frowned. "So you think he's hopeless?"

"N-no!" Jem widened his eyes. "No, of course not. He just…_operates _differently, I guess you could say. He's incredibly stubborn, too. Just about how angry was he when you walked into his room?"

"_Very_." Cecily sighed. "I still think we should talk to. Or guilt-trip him. I do it all the time and it always works. I'm irresistible."

Jem rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever you say."

Then Cecily grinned ear-to-ear. "I am the boss, after all." She winked at him, reminding the both of them of their conversation at the hospital. Jem groaned but said nothing.

They marched up the stairs and Jem knocked on the door. "_I _told_ you, Cecy, to leave me…" _he cut himself off at the sight of Jem opening the door and he quickly got up to his feet.

"James," he said, eyes flicking briefly to his sister, and back to his best friend. "What are you doing here?"

Jem and Cecily exchanged a look. "We're concerned for you, William," he told him and Will's eyes actually softened. How come Cecily couldn't do that? She's his _sister_ for crying out loud. "Why don't you just talk to us or something. It's unhealthy to keep it all in." His eyes hardened and Cecily frowned.

"_You have no idea_," Will muttered under his breath. "Thank you both—really—for showing your concern, but don't waste it on me. I'd like to be alone now, please."

Jem gave Cecily a pointed look. She should've known. He was right the whole time.

Disappointed, Cecily escorted Jem out of his room and they lingered there in the hallway in silence. But then there was a thudding sound coming from Will's room, and him whispering what sounded a lot like, "_Tess_…"

* * *

**A/N: **_So here we go. Chapter, ah, 27? :D_

_YESTERDAY WAS THE __**WORST**__ DAY OF MY LIFE. Unexpectedly my parents took me to my state health office thing or whatever, and I was supposed to get one vaccination, but instead got three. On the same arm. On my _left_ arm, and I am left-handed. Wow, great. So it was really hard to write this chapter, but as Magnus Bane says: You endure what is unbearable and you bear it. That is all._

_(None of you have to read this part but if you want to, go ahead lol) _

_Basically it went like this:_

**Me: ***walks into room somewhat anxiously*

**Nurse: **Oh, hello! Are you pregnant?

**Me: **..._What?_

**Nurse: **Or are you planning to get pregnant in 28 days?

**Me, horrified: **WHAT? NO!

**Nurse: ***laughs cheerfully and sits me down*

**Nurse: ***hums after my mother signs papers*

**Nurse: **Okay, I'm going to give you all three shots on one arm so instead of both arms being sore, it'll be just the one.

**Me, sarcastically: ** Oh, thanks.

**Nurse: **Here's the first shot…

**Me: ***flinches*

**Nurse: **Oh, you're very brave.

**Nurse: **Here's number two!

**Me: ***sits still because it didn't hurt.*

**Nurse: **Oh, EVERYONE complains that this shot hurts the most—

**Nurse: ***INJECTS ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SENTENCE CAUSING ME TO SCREAM OUT IN PAIN AND CLUTCH ONTO MY MOTHER'S HAND LIKE IT'S THE ONLY THING TO KEEP ME ALIVE*

**Nurse: ***laughs* They're always _complaining_ that it _really hurts._

I really felt like kicking her or something.

**Me, still in pain: **_Yeah, they weren't kidding._

UGH.

**Nurse: **_You're so brave! _

_REALLY. CAN I HIT YOU NOW?_

**Nurse: **La, la, la.

No.

Anyway, now my arm is killing me and it still feels the same as it did yesterday. I hate everything.

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR 200+ REVIEWS. You guys are so amazing, I love you all :D**

**Jade – I explained it in earlier chapters when Will was being all angsty. Chapter five, I believe. Hope I cleared that up for you :)**

**Previously…**

_Disappointed, Cecily escorted Jem out of his room and they lingered there in the hallway in silence. But then there was a thudding sound coming from Will's room, and him whispering what sounded a lot like, "__Tess__…"_

* * *

Cecily was annoying him.

Will just wanted to be alone in his depressed thoughts, drowning in them. It seemed a lot better than going out into the public world. But his sister was so insistent on him doing something instead of just sitting around in his room all day in the dark doing nothing.

"You have no life," Cecily had said, her voice sounding like a whine. She was determined to do everything in her power to keep him from not doing anything.

Will threw a pillow at her. "I like having no life." She was impassive as the pillow hit her in the face. She sighed, looking disappointed, and there was a twinge of guilt inside him. But he shoved it away. He didn't want to feel guilty.

He was trying to protect everyone.

Even if it did turn out that he was slightly delusional.

* * *

_**Before**_

What had happened was that one day, when he was around twelve, his friends dared him to do something completely stupid. He was living in Wales at the time and he and his friends decided to visit a fair taking place not too far away—he sort with Ferris wheels and such.

There was a small tent. There was no one around it and it looked quite old. There was no sign. Absolutely nothing. Being a young twelve year old boy, Will couldn't help but be somewhat curious. So he and his friends explored the place.

There was very little light in there so he and his friends had to wait for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. But when they did, Will couldn't help but laugh. There was a woman there who looked like your stereotypical gypsy. She was obviously alive, for she was breathing, but she was most likely sleeping.

"Hello?" Will asked, lightly kicking her leg to see if she would react.

She didn't.

One of his friends was looking around the place and found some things. And they were made of _gold_. "William, look at this…"

Will snapped his head back and saw the gold. And pearls, and silver chalices. His mouth dropped. "Take as much as you can," he ordered. "We will be _rich_."

They all looked skeptical. "It is not ours," one of his friends said. "And what if she awakens?"

Will waved a dismissive hand. "She is _asleep._ Now hush before she does wake."

The woman had already done so, unbeknownst to them. She looked absolutely furious, and screamed at them in Welsh, swearing occasionally. They had all froze.

She switched to English and pointed an accusing finger at Will. "You!" she snarled. "All who you love _shall die_. Starting with _that_ boy." She then pointed to the friend who had discovered all the treasure. He looked absolutely stricken.

Will thought that what he had done then was the stupidest thing he could've done. He _laughed_ at her. "You are not serious," Will grinned. "You're joking. These 'curses'…they are not real."

The woman growled at him. "You will see. _You will see_. Let this be a lesson to you, boy. You've been greedy, and now you shall suffer the consequences. Leave!" she roared. The boys frantically did so and nearly ran out of the place.

All of his friends were both indignant and rueful. "I cannot believe we went in there," another friend had said, groaning. "We were idiots. Especially you, _Gwilym_."

Will was taken aback. "_Me_? If anything, it was his fault." He pointed to the one who showed them the gold and pearls and things. He raised his chin up stubbornly.

At the end of the day, they separated, tsking and muttering things to themselves. Little did they know was that the boy who showed Will the treasures was attacked by a stranger, and died.

* * *

"Why don't you go to the library?" Cecily suggested, shrugging. "You like books, and you might need some new ones to read, considering most of _your_ books are on the floor…"

Library. Books. Words. Tessa. Gray. No. Absolutely not.

Will shook his head ferociously, wanting to steer clear from the library.

Then Cecily narrowed her eyes and stared at him.

"By the Angel, _what_ are you doing?" Will asked, eyeing her.

Cecy gave him a look. "I'm giving you the side eye."

Will smiled—the first one in a while—in amusement. "You look as if you're going to have a stroke."

"Actually, you know what," Cecily then said, placing her hands on her hips. She placed a glass of water on the table near his bed. She had been doing that often, since he refuses to get any of his own. He's perfectly capable; it's just that he didn't believe that he deserved even water. "I think the library will do you some good." Her eyes glinted mischievously, like she knew something he didn't.

"Whatever, Cecy," Will murmured, the smile gone. "There's no point in getting in a fight with you, since you always seem to win anyway." He glared at her for that. "Which isn't fair."

Cecily gave him a goofy grin. "I'm irresistible." She was laughing and Will looked at her strangely. Then she coughed. "Sorry. Inside joke. Never mind."

Will shrugged, then stood up. They exited the house in silence, and Will drove to the nearest library.

* * *

Little did he know, Tessa was already there.

Cecily called her earlier saying to meet her at the closest library. It was hard to get her to go, since Tessa continuously kept refusing saying that she has her own books to read. But Tessa didn't want to read. She would see those books she had gotten at his library—the one that he showed her and only her.

Tessa nowadays was wondering if he was lying, if that was a trick he used on girls.

She also refused to speak his name, or even think it, and only called him by pronouns.

Anyway, it took a lot to get her to go there, but Cecily wouldn't take no for an answer—which was infuriating, but she complied in the end, unfortunately.

She was beginning to wonder if Cecily would ever show up, since she's been waiting there for at least a half an hour. Tessa sighed, and stroke the spines of the books on the shelves as she walked by. She spotted a particular one—_Armadale_! Quickly she grabbed the book and took out her library card and nearly ran to get it checked out.

She swiped the card on the machine and scanned the front page of the book and checked it out, declining to getting a receipt.

Tessa went to the couch in the center of the place, shifting uncomfortably, and began reading the mystery novel.

Not too long after, Cecily came in with a smile. Tessa placed her finger in the book and shut it, standing up. "Cecily!" she exclaimed, returning the smile.

And then…

_No._

_He _walked in, and Tessa's smile was gone.

She widened her eyes and started walking backwards. They made eye contact for a brief second and he seemed surprised too. She looked down. Her chest was aching with pain, and she desperately wanted to leave and go home so she could cry into her pillow.

"Cecily," she said again, but her voice was sad. "Why is he here?" she whispered harshly.

"I can still hear, you know," Will said, voice raising a little which caused the librarians to shush him.

Tessa shook her head and swallowed down the lump in her throat. She didn't want to deal with him, or talk to him, or associate with him in any way.

"Cecily Herondale, do explain yourself," Will commanded, and Tessa's eyes were glued to the floor. She wished he would stop talking. Hearing his voice made her want to cry.

His sister looked exasperated. "I was just trying to help!" she said helplessly, raising her hands in the air. "You won't talk to each other—"

"I don't _want_ to talk to him, Cecily," Tessa growled. For a moment, hurt flashed across Will's face, but was quickly masked. She had wondered if she imagined it. She shook her head, and kept it down. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes and she didn't want anyone to see them.

"I'm leaving," she said quietly.

The two Herondales were both quiet and stared after her as she walked to the exit and pushed the doors open, marching away with her tears flowing down her cheeks now. She sniffled and wanted to run to her car and drive off.

When she found it in the parking lot, she quickly got inside and started the vehicle, driving home and willing herself not to sob. Her eyes were red and her lips were quivering.

When she got home, she ran up to her room and shut and locked the door, ignoring her brother calling after her. She made a frustrated sound into her pillow, and wept.

* * *

**A/N: **_*Smiles innocently* Hi guys. About this chapter…well… *coughs awkwardly* Forgive me?_

_YAY FOR REFERENCES! I pulled a Daniel/Mara thing in Will and Cecily's conversation. I just really love that part idk I'm weird._

_Thank you all who hoped for my arm to feel better. It does now, I can move it freely and life is good. On Sunday though, I saw one of my old teacher's and they hugged me and squeezed _that _arm very tightly (is she like part snake of something? By the Angel,) and I after the hug I gave my parents a look and they were staring at my old teacher incredulously and she was so confused aw._

_To everyone who reviewed that they're a lefty – (let's be friends) Wow, there was surprisingly a lot, considering most people are right-handed. I like talking to other lefties about this kind of stuff though, it's always fun. Like people will get so fascinated if they find out I write with my left hand, which is kind of weird, but *shrugs*_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	29. Chapter 29: Cookies and Biscuits

**Previously…**

_When she got home, she ran up to her room and shut and locked the door, ignoring her brother calling after her. She made a frustrated sound into her pillow, and wept._

* * *

Will seriously considered leaving his sister in that library while he drives home. It was the worst thing anything anyone could've done for him, and what she did was pure evil.

Cecily was paler than usual. Gradually she turned around and faced Will, looking like she was in the middle of a wince. He couldn't stay mad at her, she was his sister. He decided to be mad at the idea instead of her.

But that still didn't make the hurt inside of him go away. Watching Tessa leave like that, absolutely terrified of the idea of being in the same presence as Will was probably the worst thing that he ever experienced in his whole life.

"I…" Cecy tried to say… "I didn't… I mean…" She frowned.

Will put his hands in his pockets and gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Let's go home?" Cecily nodded but continued stammering, not sure what to say and Will just kept patting her back comfortingly.

* * *

Tessa shook her head. She forced the tears to stop. She had to be strong. How could she let herself be so weak? She was pathetic. She disgusted herself.

She went to her bathroom and pulled out all the tissue paper by the sink she could manage and wiped the tears off her face until no more fell down. She turned on the faucet and splashed water on her face. Her eyes were swollen and she cursed herself.

_You're okay,_ Tessa convinced herself. _You're fine. Everything's all right. No guy like him would ever be…friends…with me anyway. He's not worth it. _She started to believe it, and she took in deep breaths and exhaled through her nose. She was starting to feel calmer.

A hand touched her shoulder, and she flinched. Tessa's eyes looked up at the mirror to see her brother standing behind her and looking worried.

"Tessie," Nate said calmly, stroking her arm soothingly, "are you alright?" She turned around and nodded. He put his hand on her face.

"Stop it," he then told her, making Tessa tilt her head, suddenly surprised. "You always hold in your emotions. You don't let them out. It's not good for your health."

She shook her head. "Having them there is not good either," she said, raising her chin up stubbornly.

He rolled his eyes, but then grew serious. "Look. I'm supposed to be the wiser older brother here. I barely ever see you cry. When I did, you were a little mini Tessa. This isn't right."

Tessa held in her breath. _Are you saying that you _want_ me to cry and be sad?_ she thought with a huff.

"No," Nate said.

_Oops. Did I say that out loud?_

"I'm saying that you should every now and then let your emotions run loose," he continued. "I might even have to take you to a therapist."

Tessa glowered, "Don't you dare."

He laughed and pulled her in for a hug. It was kind of awkward, considering they were in a bathroom and there was a mirror there and they saw their reflections hugging, which was honestly kind of weird but the brotherly affection was there, and Tessa appreciated it.

When he let go, Tessa sighed. She felt more at ease.

"You want to eat something?" Nate asked, nudging her arm with his. Tessa wasn't really that hungry, but thought it might be good for her.

"Sure," she answered and they walked downstairs to the kitchen.

* * *

The doorbell rang to the Herondale house.

Cecily stood up from the couch and yelled, "I'll get it!" so her brother could hear. She unlocked the door and swung it open and no one was there.

She sighed, a bit agitated, and murmured, "Stupid mundies." As she was about to close the door, she noticed something she hadn't before. She crouched down and picked up a tin box that was striped with red and white.

"Hmm," she hummed and picked it up. She closed the door with her foot and placed the box on the coffee table in front of her couch. "William!" she shouted. "If you could please come down—" The sound of footsteps cut her off. Seconds later, she found her older brother standing right before her.

She gestured to the box.

Will stared at it, and then at her, but then shook his head and began walking away.

She pulled on his wrist and dragged him back down. "This was on our front door," she told him. His eyebrows rose with mild interest.

"Ah."

"Yeah."

Silence.

"Open it," he urged. "If you're making me stay here, you might as well open it."

She gingerly took off the lid and blinked. She looked at her brother and saw that he was a bit surprised also.

"Biscuits," Cecily said with a tilt of her head.

Will took one in his hand and twisted it with his fingers. "Apparently." He brought it to his mouth and Cecily cried out. He dropped it in his hand and it fell to his lap. "What?"

"Don't eat it!" Cecily told him, using the tone she would've used if she was scolding little children. "Who knows, it could be drugged."

Will rolled his eyes. "You're mad." He took a bite and chewed slowly. Then he brightened. "They're good." He took another one. "And addictive."

"Like drugs," Cecily said under her breath.

He gave her a pointed look. Then reached for another and gave it to her. "Try."

Reluctantly, she took it and started eating it. She had to admit, they were tasty.

Cecily looked at her window and sighed in contentment. It wasn't very cold outside. The wind had dropped to a minimum and the weather was nice. It made her want to go out.

Then she saw the bush rustle. This was…odd. It wasn't anything she wasn't used to, of course, but it wasn't even that windy. There was a shadow by it—_Nonsense_, Cecily thought. There shouldn't be a shadow. It's all her imagination. Just because the weather was nice didn't mean that it wasn't cloudy.

Cecily ignored it and turned on their television and watched it with Will, also ignoring the nagging thought in the back of her mind that maybe, it wasn't her imagination.

* * *

Tessa, after a long, _long_ time of contemplating, thought that maybe she should apologize to the Herondales for leaving so abruptly. It was extremely rude of her, she decided, and Will probably had no intention of talking to her. And like Cecily said, they wouldn't talk to each other and maybe Tessa could mend the wounds for both of them.

Maybe she could even be extra nice and bake chocolate chip cookies. She could put them in a cute little basket or something.

Yeah. Lots of people would like that.

And maybe she could give the rest to her brother. Tessa smiled to herself and began to look up recipes for chocolate chip cookies.

. . .

After about forty-five minutes, Tessa put on her oven mitts took the out the cookies with a smug smile. Her brother came down from the stairs and said, beaming, "I smell cookies."

"You smelled correct," Tessa replied and laid them out of the table, turning on the fan. "Most of the batch belongs to the Herondales, but the rest are for you." She was certain she owned some sort of basket. She looked around the kitchen.

"None for you?" Nate asked, taking one and burning his hand with a loud "OUCH." She laughed as he frantically went to the sink and poured cold water on it.

She found the basket with a feeling of success. She put it on the table also and sat down on a chair. She shook her head.

Nate sighed, looking disappointed. "Tessie…You made these. I'll give you one. Taste." He shoved a cookie up her face. She didn't realize she still had her oven mitts until she reached for it. She kept them on as she grabbed it and took a bite. They were good, and practically melted in her mouth.

"Mmm…" She put them in the basket while they were still hot, leaving a portion of them still on the tray. "They're all yours, Nate," she said as she swung the basket over her shoulder and started walking to the door.

"Be back soon," Nate told her, his mouth full of cookie. Tessa grimaced, but ignored him and opened the door and began walking across the street.

She hummed a song that her mother used to love. It made her sad, thinking of her mother, Elizabeth Gray. She reached for her clockwork angel with her other hand, but paused midway as she found herself in front of their door.

Then she was filled with anxiety.

What if they didn't want to see her after she left them? Maybe they didn't even like her anymore. The idea made her feel horrible and she considered running back to her house, but it was no longer an option because she knocked on their door.

It didn't open immediately, but when it did, it revealed a bored-looking Will. When he saw her, the remote control that was in his hand fell to the ground as he looked at her in astonishment. He didn't seem to notice. Tessa's heart clenched. He tried to mask his features, but his astonishment shone through. "Tessa," he said in a surprised tone. "What're you doing here?" His voice cracked a little.

Tessa attempted a smile. "I felt bad about running out earlier, so I made you both cookies…" Her voice became quieter at the end. She held up the basket in her arm. He didn't look at it and kept his eyes on hers. Her heartbeat quickened the longer they looked at each other.

She took the time to notice that his black hair was disheveled (Tessa suddenly found an urge to run her fingers through it) and that his blue eyes that she always found fascinating lost a bit of life in them. He had faint dark circles under them from lack of sleep.

_Him too,_ she thought sadly.

It was all interrupted when his younger sister showed up. "Tessa!" she said albeit with much cheerfulness. "You're here!" She looked like she was going to leap in her arms.

"Yeah," Tessa said quietly. Will snapped out of gaze and looked over at his sister.

"Come in, Tessa." She seized her wrist and brought her in. She brought her down on the couch and practically made her sit down.

"Where should I put this?" Tessa asked, outstretching her arm to reveal the basket.

Cecily's eyes landed on it. "What's in it?"

"Chocolate chip cookies," she replied, handing over the basket, "for you and…Will." Her voice became a whisper at his name. He was standing in the kitchen and his eyes seemed to slide over to her at the mention of his name.

"Oh, thank you!" Cecily exclaimed. "That's funny, we'd gotten biscuits earlier." She pointed to a tin box sitting on the coffee table. "Do you want one? They're really good."

Tessa could swear the same box was delivered to her. Her eyes flashed with recognition. That _same exact _box was sent to her and her brother. "Really," Tessa said, approaching the box. "My brother and I had gotten cook—_biscuits_ not too long ago." Her voice was filled with suspicion.

Will looked up at this. "Really? That's…peculiar."

She nodded. "Yeah… It wasn't either of you?"

Cecily and Will shook their heads.

Tessa placed a hand on her hip. "Hm. Interesting."

There was a moment of silence. The only sound there was the sound of Will filling a glass with water. He handed it to her which she took with a quiet, "Thank you." He nodded without looking at her.

"Perhaps it's something they do to everyone in the neighborhood?" Cecily shrugged, reaching for one of the cookies Tessa made.

It seemed reasonable enough. "Maybe," Tessa said, although a little unsure. She finished the glass of water and Cecily took the glass from her, taking it to the kitchen. "Well, I'll go home now I guess. See you guys at school. I hope you enjoy the cookies."

She started walking towards the door, but Will abruptly said, "Wait, Tessa!"

She turned her head and looked at him with twinge of hope. His hand was on her shoulder. His touch was warm and the rest of Tessa's body felt cold and at a loss.

He looked hesitant. And then finally, "Thank you." He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he said nothing more.

"Oh," Tessa mumbled, slightly disappointed. She fumbled with her fingers. "Good-bye, Will. Cecily." She nodded her head to each of them and went straight home.

* * *

**A/N: **_I actually really like this chapter. Yay, I added more reason for you guys to be suspicious now! More plot, it's all good._

_I don't usually make cookies since that's what my parents like doing (that and I'd rather stay alone in my room on my computer or some sort of technology in the dark) so I asked my father, "Dad, how long does it usually take for you to make chocolate chip cookies?"_

_Then he looked at me in amusement. "Why, do you want me to make them for you? Is that what you're asking?"_

_I sputtered, "Wha—no! I mean—well, if you want to…"_

_He snorted. "Honey if you want me to make them for you…"_

_I groaned in frustration. "No! Don't, I'm just curious."_

_He blinked. "…Do you want them, or do you not?"_

"_I don't!" I told him insistently. "Please don't." _

"_Then why are you asking?" he shot at me. I wasn't going to say for a story I'm writing because come on, it would sound kind of stupid. A story about baking. Not that it _is_ stupid, it's just that it would sound stupid for _me_ considering I'm not the kind of person._

"_I'm just curious, now if you could please tell me." _

_He shrugged. "It usually takes about 40-45 minutes."_

"_You could've just said that."_

_Then he begins talking to me saying that I do want cookies when I don't (well, it wouldn't be bad. I'll take them if you want) and I just grew frustrated and shouted, "NEVER MIND."_

_This is my life._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	30. Chapter 30: Meeting

**Previously…**

_He looked hesitant. And then finally, "Thank you." He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he said nothing more._

_"Oh," Tessa mumbled, slightly disappointed. She fumbled with her fingers. "Good-bye, Will. Cecily." She nodded her head to each of them and went straight home._

* * *

"Was this really necessary, Cecy?" Tessa asked, a little unsure with her plan.

Will shot her a look. "That's _my_ nickname for her."

She straightened and glared at him. "You don't seem to mind when Jem says it." Jem shook his head; the look on his face told her to leave him out of this.

"Because he's my _friend_," Will said menacingly.

"And I'm not?!" Her voice was coming to a shout. It became quiet in the room and Tessa noticed that Jem and Cecily were staring at them both intently. She brought it down and spoke quietly, "Just forget it."

"Tessa…" he sighed out.

Cecily had organized a meeting at an abandoned warehouse. They weren't exactly sure why she brought them _there_ of all places, but decided to just go with it. Apparently she and Gabriel met up there sometimes. Will became indignant of course, but then rolled his eyes. There were couches and mini-fridges and just everything you could want. They each had their own couch and Tessa was laying in it like it was a bed.

They were discussing the situation with the biscuits. Tessa was suspicious and had told Cecily, and she admitted that she was growing a bit as well. They had Will and Jem come along with them, although Tessa was extremely uncomfortable. With Jem she felt better but it was still weird for her.

Cecily explained the situation to Jem. When he had questions, she would answer 'yes, no, and we're not exactly sure yet.' She sounded very professional. Like an adult.

Then they started devising a plan. They would all pitch in ideas, but none were good enough that would help them figure this out.

"I don't understand," Jem had said. "Maybe everyone in your community gets these."

Will shook his head. "No, because we've never gotten these before."

Jem shrugged. "It's a new thing? To show their appreciation that you chose their homes over other places?"

"It's not that, James," Will insisted, sighing once before running his hand in his hair.

Cecily then jumped and explained an idea of hers that she had. That they could put cameras all over the community and when someone reports a sign of the white and red striped box, they would see who did it.

After a moment, Tessa said, "Was this really necessary, Cecy?" She meant the whole meeting. Maybe they were just wasting their time. It wasn't anything serious anyway. It's not like someone committed a crime.

And it all led up to that moment.

Tessa rolled over in her couch and stared straight up at the ceiling. She appreciated how Cecily and Gabriel made the warehouse look nice enough to live in. (Apparently, there were even beds there.)

Do all Herondales have secret places to go to?

"Tessa," Will said again. She briefly looked over at him. It seemed that Jem and Cecily were no longer paying attention to them and instead were discussing the biscuits. He stared at her for a second before he mouthed something to her. It was one word, and it was _Alone_.

She gave him a puzzled look, but found herself nodding in agreement. He looked relieved.

She looked away.

"Tessa." This time it was Jem's voice. She got up and crossed her legs, saying, "Yees?"

"How long ago did you receive the biscuits?" he inquired.

She thought back, biting her lip. She looked up at him and answered, "At least a week ago. Maybe two weeks."

Cecily frowned. "Wouldn't it just be easier to say a fortnight?"

Tessa grinned. "We don't say that in America. Or at least, most people that I know don't."

Will rolled his eyes. "Why are you saying 'we'? Goodness, Tessa, _you_ are in England now."

She huffed. "Fine, I'll be careful extra careful next time to say fortnight, now if we could _please_ return to the subject…"

Jem clapped his hands together. "Okay, so _two weeks_ ago. And you both had gotten yours only yesterday, am I correct?" Will and Cecily nodded.

Tessa spoke up. "Jem, even if they were giving these around the neighborhood, Cecily and Will still live across from me, and I'm pretty sure they would've given it to them sooner."

They all considered this.

"True," Will said after a while. She beamed. "But why would Anonymous—can we call the person 'Anonymous?' I'm quite fond of the word—give them to us _much_ later than you?"

Cecily rose her hand up and then told him, "Maybe Anonymous has given the biscuits to other people as well?"

Will grinned. "So I see we've settled on the name Anonymous." He sat back in his couch with a smug smile.

They ignored him. "Maybe," said Jem, "but is what Anonymous doing really bad for everyone? It's actually a very kind gesture, if you haven't noticed."

Will looked extremely proud of himself when Jem used the name Anonymous. He was drowning in self-glory. Then he snapped up. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"We'll just have to find out." Tessa unconsciously began brushing her hair with her fingers. She turned to Cecily. "I assume there will be another meeting."

She grinned. "Of course there will be. You catch on fast, Tess. Faster than _some_ people." She glowered at Will who sighed dramatically.

"Everyone's stealing the nicknames _I_ created," Will muttered to himself. "How cruel."

Everyone ignored him again. Cecily rose up. "Well everyone, it's been nice seeing you, and I'll see you tomorrow. Same time. Don't be late." She pointed a finger at everyone, and then exited the warehouse with Jem, leaving Will and Tessa alone.

. . .

He stood up and held out a hand for her to take. She stared at him. Honestly, Will had been bursting with excitement in the inside the moment he told her he wanted to be alone with her. He wasn't sure if she was going to agree or not, being Tessa and being mad at him. He was blissfully surprised when she nodded.

"Trust me," Will said. "Cecily's bound to return, and I'd like to be in a more private place—if that's alright with you." It was the truth, and if they didn't leave now, Cecily would be there at any moment. This sort of thing was a now or never kind of situation.

Reluctantly, Tessa took his hand and he took her to the far end of the place, always looking left and right. He found the entry to a trapdoor which apparently led to a basement. When they went down, Tessa shivered.

"Creepy," she whispered. He nodded, agreeing. He hadn't let go of her hand. "What was it that you wanted to tell me?" She was obviously trying to seem casual around him, and he couldn't blame her. "Why do you and your sister just happen to have abandoned places to go to? Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but why?"

Will shrugged. _Because we're constantly angry at the world_, he thought, but told her instead, "We like being alone from time to time." She gave him an understanding look.

He prepared himself mentally. He was about to bring out _the_ incident. But now he was safe. Now she couldn't get hurt.

* * *

_Before_

They met at a local café.

"Where is she?" Magnus asked him after Will explained the whole story. He blinked at him. "Wales, you say?"

He sputtered, "The, um, woman?"

Magnus rolled his eyes. "No. I meant the horse I rode last week. _Obviously_, William."

Will, after a few seconds, nodded. "Yes… She might not be there still."

The eccentric man made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Please. I can summon her up in a mere few seconds."

He was taken aback. "Summon?"

Magnus shrugged, his cat eyes gleaming. "I know everyone." Will narrowed his dark blue eyes at the man. Maybe he couldn't be trusted.

"Take me there," said Magnus very suddenly. "I'll help you find her and then she could take off this 'curse' of yours. Although using the word curse may be a little overdramatic."

"I'm not being overdramatic," Will grunted. "People who I love are _dying_, and you think I'm being _overdramatic_?" He took a sip of water, and began gulping it down, not getting enough.

Magnus then lit up and gave him a sly smile. "People who you love are dying," he repeated. "And you come to me now, after all these years, for help. Why, is there someone you might possibly fancy, Mr. Herondale?"

He choked on his water. Couching viciously, Will tried to compose himself and Magnus was laughing. "You _do_! Who is it? What's she like? Or is it a he?"

Will wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "That's absolutely none of your business." He let out a few final coughs.

"Maybe not, but I might not help you if you don't tell me."

"_What?_"

"I need some more reasons."

Will pinched the bridge of his nose. "Isn't the dying part enough?"

"Fine," Magnus said. "We're going to Wales immediately." Then he cocked an eyebrow at the blue-eyed boy. "Are you all right? I mean, you're already pale, but _this…_"

Wales, home of his childhood. Ah, the memories. His demons are already haunting him, but it'll be like absolute Hell when he gets there.

Hesitantly, Will nodded.

"Great!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Let's go."

. . .

They took a train to get there, and once they'd gotten in Cardiff, Will stiffened all over. Magnus noticed the tension and calmly put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Relax…" But it did nothing at all. He called his sister earlier and told her that he was going to be gone for a few hours and that she shouldn't worry if he doesn't come back soon. Of course, Cecily demanded to know where he could've possibly gone, but Will hung up before she could ask more.

He shook his head, unable to believe what he was seeing. The color of the sky matched the exact shade of Tessa's eyes, and he then longed to see them. Tessa. Simply thinking her name made his heart race, and plummet to the ground. After this little visit, he needed to fix things with her. Desperately.

To calm himself, he just looked at the sky when he started feeling the least bit troubled, and it helped. Thinking of Tessa helped.

"You're being quiet," Magnus pointed out.

Will nodded without saying a word just to get on his nerves.

"So! Where to?" he asked excitedly. "I've never been here before."

"It's on the other side of the city," Will muttered, taking the lead.

They ended up renting a car and following his instinct, drove to where he remembered the fairgrounds to be.

Nobody was there and it was looking quite…raggedy.

"This is nothing like I imagined it to be," Magnus spoke solemnly. "It's so depressing."

"Your outfit really lightens up the place."

"Thank you!"

"There it is," Will said, gesturing for Magnus to follow him. He gulped as he approached the tent he hadn't seen in a little more than five years. They walked inside, coughing as the dust from the entrance fell upon them. They swatted their hands around to get rid of it.

And there she was.

Will felt like he was suffocating, and not just because of the dust.

She was in the same position as he last saw her, looking like she was asleep, or possibly even dead. Time had caught up with her and her black graying hair had highlights of silver. He looked behind him and saw the gold and pearls he had seen before. This time, Will didn't even really care for it.

Gently, Magnus shook her shoulder. "Miss?" he asked. "Miss, if you could please wake up."

And she did.

Her eyes were wide as she took in William Herondale. She pointed a finger at him. "I-I know you!" she exclaimed. He nodded in confirmation. She hissed at him. Magnus kept trying to calm her down.

When he finally managed to, he asked her, "Ma'am, we would really appreciate it if you could help us with something."

The woman narrowed her eyes at them. "What is it?" Her teeth were yellow and some were sharp, like a vampire's fangs. Will shivered.

"This young man right here—the one you cursed like five years ago—needs to be, well, _un_cursed," Magnus spoke evenly and calmly.

The woman looked up at Will with wide eyes, and began cackling hysterically. Will was beyond confused at this point. "You—you think you're—" She couldn't finish her sentence because she was laughing too hard.

When she finished laughing, she had a roll of newspaper and wacked Will in the side with it. He cried out as if it actually hurt him, when it didn't. "You foolish boy. You cannot be cursed. It was just merely a trick that I made up, so you wouldn't steal my things."

Will's mouth fell to the floor.

"But—but I don't…_What?_" Will sputtered. "But my friend! You said he would die _and he did. _On that very day!"

The woman looked quite impressed with herself. "A coincidence perhaps?"

Will growled, "My elder sister. Ella. She's dead too."

The woman shut her eyes and shrugged. "I do not care, honestly. Leave me alone."

He snarled, "All my life, I've been pushing everyone away because I didn't want them to get hurt. _Because of you!_ And now I'm afraid I've ruined everything with Tes—someone. Hell, I think I might've scared my own sister off sometimes. And it's your entire fault. And here you are, telling me that this was just a trick. I just wasted five years of my life! How _dare_ you?" He was panting by the time he was finished, mashing up all of his words together. The woman's eyes flew open and gave him a pitying look. He didn't want her pity. She was the one to have caused this. It was her fault.

Magnus looked at the two. "I think we'll be leaving now." He scowled at the now guilty-looking woman and him and Will left the tent and took a train back to London.

* * *

"Look, Tessa," Will said slowly. "About everything on the balcony…" Her eyes hardened and she looked as if she was preparing herself for what he was going to say. "That wasn't fair to you, but I had my reasons. I might not explain them right now, but you need to know that I am incredibly sorry."

She looked at him suspiciously. "Is this another game of yours, Will, because if it is, then I'm leaving."

"No!" Will grabbed her hands with his and laced their fingers together. "No, you don't understand. I'll explain one day, I promise. I swear on the Angel."

Tessa looked unsure. "I don't know… What was that all about after Cecily explained the whole plan, about the whole 'friend' thing. Were—are we not friends?" His heart dropped into his stomach.

"_And I'm not?!"_ she had nearly shouted at him. The words had hung between them in the silence. The feeling he had when she said that was horrible. He could feel the coldness in his stomach, threatening to take over his body. It made him feel sick inside.

"We are," he said. "I think. If you want us to be, because if you don't want to, then I understand and I'll just disappear out of your life forever and even though I don't want to do that, I'll make that sacrifice if that's what you want—"

"Will," Tessa interrupted. Her eyes met his and they begged to be looked at. "Please, just for once…_ Shut up_." She looked exasperated and he threw her a lopsided grin.

"Too grand a statement? You know how I am with words."

"Oh, I know."

Will chuckled. Things kind of became quiet after that, and Will took that moment to act.

"Tess," he spoke quietly, and fondly. Her eyes seemed to soften at his nickname for her. He hadn't been using it in a while, out loud. He let go of her hands and pulled her to him, his arms wrapping around her. Tessa at first seemed a little unwilling, but her head then buried into his chest and her arms went around him. He was overjoyed.

For a while, they just stood there. Will's hand stroked her spine soothingly and felt rewarded when making her shiver more than once. She let out a content sigh, and Will closed his eyes, his heart racing in his chest from the close proximity.

She pulled away slowly. "We should probably go back out. Cecily and Jem could be waiting for us."

Will was honestly kind of disappointed, but knew it was for the best. "Probably," he sighed out.

Tessa, with a smile, looked down and grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers, and they walked out of the basement, and the warehouse altogether. Cecily was fuming.

"Where were you two?" she demanded with a scowl. She must've noticed the happy looks on their faces because then Cecily grinned broadly. "Get in, losers, we're going shopping."

Tessa laughed and they got in the car, and drove off.

* * *

**A/N: **_Yay for Mean Girls, and a longer chapter! Finally, they talk. Now that I have this written up, I have to redo a chapter I already did since they kind of made up here. They're still friends though, since a hug is considered friendly. When it's Will and Tessa...well..._

_ But you guys deserve some happy Wessa since I've been putting you all through misery. _

_I find myself really liking writing Will's back-stories. They're actually really fun. Too bad this one was _probably_ the last back-story for the fic. Ah, well. Anyway, it seems this story is going to be a little longer than I'd anticipated, so maybe forty chapters and then it's done? It's a lot, I know, and you guys are probably getting sick of this story but _

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story. I just have a laptop, that's it, not even a life._


	31. Chapter 31: Back to the Library

**Previously…**

_Tessa laughed and they got in the car, and drove off._

* * *

Her sleep was interrupted in the middle of the night because of a certain William Herondale.

The phone started ringing loudly and Tessa muttered a string of curses before picking up the phone and pressing answer.

"_Tessa! Tess, are you awake?_" Will's voice was excited. She couldn't imaginehow he could be, the time being twelve o'clock in the morning. But then again, it was Will.

She grumpily murmured into the phone, "I am now." She looked over at her window that wasn't covered by the blinds, and saw Will sitting by his window on the phone. He was grinning. Of course he was.

"_Great, then I guess you won't mind me taking you somewhere_," Will said cheerily.

Tessa sighed. "Depends where."

Will responded in an obvious tone with, "_Our library_."

She couldn't help but grin at that. "_Our_ library? Aw, how sweet."

"_Well it's _my_ library, but I figured since you've already gone, you might want to go again. After all, it's a library where you can't be bothered_."

"Except by you."

"_Maybe, but you love me."_

"Hardly."

"_You tolerate me…?"_

"Just barely."

"_Whatever, you like me bothering you, don't you, Tess_." His tone was playful.

She mocked a scoff. "What makes you think I want to go with you, William?" Tessa raised an eyebrow at her wall, not caring that it wasn't actually him in front of her.

"_Do you want me to beg? Is that what you want?_" Will was irritated and Tessa grinned in success.

She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand even if he couldn't see. "Will Herondale _begging_? I'd pay all the money in the world to see that happen."

"_Is that so?_"

"Forget I said anything. Beg, Will."

"_Pleeeaassse, Tessa?_ _If you care for me, just a little bit, then can you please go with me?_" Will, at this point, sounded desperate. She was very pleased with herself knowing that she was the only person in the world to hear this.

She laughed, trying not to be too loud to wake her brother. Her door was closed and he was a heavy sleeper, so she didn't think it would matter anyway. He was probably passed out in his bedroom. "I'll go with you…where?"

He made a frustrated sound. "_Tess, this isn't fair_."

Tessa made her voice sound more tired. "Oh, look at that. I'm growing quite tired. I think I may sleep." She faked a yawn for good measure. "Yep, definitely sleepy."

"_The library, Tessa._"

Tessa perked up and smiled. "Yeah, I'll go with you, Will. I still have the books which I should probably return anyway. You should've just asked."

Will groaned and switched to a muffled and very colorful choice of words.

"How charming," Tessa said flatly. "So you're just going to pick me up?"

"_Yeah. And I'm standing right outside your door." _

Tessa's eyebrows shot up. "What?" She looked out her window, and sure enough, he was. Wow.

Tessa grabbed the books she had gotten the last time, and then she put on her socks and boots and threw on a light jacket, not even bothering to brush her hair or anything, and she opened the door and found Will who was radiating energy from where he stood. They greeted each other quickly and Tessa gulped, realizing the attire she was in: drawstring pants, a tank top, and a light, thin jacket. He took in her appearance and Tessa looked down.

"You're fine, you know," he told her and shrugging. "I've seen you in worse." She glared daggers at him.

"_WOW_. You must use that one a lot on girls."

He flashed a grin at her. "You're fine," he said again. "It's just a library. No one's going to see you in that."

"But you," Tessa pointed out. He shrugged.

In a way, she was glad that they were acting like regular friends. Although this time, he seemed lighter. Happier. But she still had no explanation for the sudden energy boost. She'll ask him later, Tessa decided, when she herself had more energy.

They both starting walking out of Tessa's house and she closed the door shut, careful to not make any noise so her brother would wake up.

She tried to brush her hair with her fingers, but it was untamable and she knew it was futile. Still, she had done her best and it didn't look like a rat's nest like it had before.

Will looked over at her. "Tessa, you look perfectly fine. How many times must I tell you until you're finally convinced?" She rolled her eyes but gave up in the end. She placed her books in her lap.

Of course there wasn't traffic anymore, being late at night. Or early in the morning. So they went by calmly and quietly, listening to the soft sounds of violin playing on the radio.

She was reminded of Jem playing in the music room a while ago. It surprised her how long ago that'd been. People weren't kidding when they said time flew by fast. A little too fast, if you asked Tessa.

They finally parked, causing Tessa to be pulled out of her thoughts. They left the car and Will offered her his hand and she took it, smiling lazily at him. He pulled the door open and had her enter first and him behind.

She sighed blissfully as she was once again surrounded by books. He let go of her hand, and Will was lighting the candles and later pulled out some water for Tessa.

"You're being so energetic," Tessa finally said.

He looked at the books in her arms and she gave them to him without hesitation. He put them in the shelves. Will grinned broadly at her and then took a seat at the leather chairs. "Coffee," he answered shortly with a shrug. She raised an eyebrow.

_How much? _Tessa was going to ask but a yawn cut her off. She covered her mouth with her hand and tiredly sat down across from him, rubbing her eyes.

She was still tired, whether she was out of the house or not. She felt the overwhelming sense of sleep wanting to overtake her. She had to force herself not to let it happen but it wasn't exactly easy. Tessa rested her head on the arms of the chair, using her arm as a pillow. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but it was all she could really do.

Tessa knew he was watching her with an amused stare, but she couldn't really bring herself to care.

"You do realize that it's probably one o'clock in the morning, right?" Tessa murmured into her arm. She sound was muffled but still understandable.

"Of course," said Will brightly. She forced down an eye roll.

She sighed. "And, you do realize I was _sleeping_, right?"

"Yes, I had assumed." She shut her eyes and stifled another yawn.

"So I guess I should ask you why I'm here in the first place," Tessa said, her voice sounding far away to her ears.

He chuckled. "You were going to anyway."

"Whatever. Answer the question."

Will took his time to answer, but when he did, he responded with, "I wanted to explain."

At that, Tessa knit her eyebrows together in confusion. "Explain what?" She then recalled him yesterday promising her that he would tell her. Explain himself. "Oh. Okay. Then, um, explain. Here, I'll sit next to you." She got up and he made room for her, and Tessa sat down.

He took a deep breath and started from when he was a twelve year old boy and how he visited with his friends some sort of carnival. How he found a tent with a sleeping woman, and how his friend found things like gold. How he laughed at her. How she cursed him. How his friend died that day. She was attentive throughout the whole entire explanation, and Tessa was at a loss of words.

"Your sister…" she whispered. Will nodded, and then continued, talking about how he met up with Magnus Bane, someone who helps with these kinds of situations, although his was a bit of a rarity, how they took a train to Cardiff and how they went back. The woman was still there, surprisingly. And then he told her it was all a lie, and then him and Magnus left.

She wasn't as sleepy as she was before. She was more alert now.

"Will," Tessa sighed out. Her arms reached around his neck and she pulled him in, trying to give as much comfort as she can. He buried his face in her hair, and Tessa closed her eyes. "Have you told anyone else?"

She felt him shake his head. "Besides Magnus, no." Tessa pursed her lips.

"Not even Jem?"

"Nope."

Tessa was filled with questions at his responses. Then why her, of all people, when he had Cecily and Jem and his mother and father and everyone else? Will knows them all better. He knew them longer. Tessa hadn't been living in London for very long. It didn't make sense to her, but after his story, she didn't want to bombard him with questions. She didn't think he would appreciate it.

"Huh." Tessa opened her eyes and pulled away, sitting cross-legged and very close to Will. He gave her a questioning look.

"What is it?" asked Will.

"Why me?" Tessa blurted out. Before she could stop herself, she continued, "I mean, Jem's your best friend. Cecily's your sister. You have your mother and father, for goodness sake."

Will cut her off. "My parents are never here. They wouldn't care."

Tessa blinked.

"Well, mine are dead," Tessa spoke, avoiding his gaze and keeping her voice firm. "I don't care if your parents aren't there. Sometimes they _are_ home, and when they are, you should spend time with them. Cecy, too. Trust me when I say you don't want to lose them. After all, the saying goes: You never know what you have until you lose it. Or in this case, them. I'm serious, Will. Respect your parents."

Sometimes when people spoke about their mother and father, and in their teenage years, they tend to speak bad about them. When Tessa heard anything like that, she didn't want to hear it. It's only been her aunt Harriet and her brother Nathaniel for most of her life. She misses them. And she absolutely couldn't stand when people talked bad about their family.

Aunt Harriet was sort of like a mother to her. But then _she _passed away, too. Now all she had was Nate. But most of the time, he's drinking his way to oblivion so he's not _always_ there, but he is, usually. And she loves him. He's her family.

Will was quiet, so Tessa continued. "And Cecily. We mustn't forget about her. She's there for you, keeps you grounded. She's a good sister and _never_ disregard her because she will most likely beat you to the ground in the end." He smiled. "My point is your family is your family. They're all you have. Be grateful," she finished, somewhat proud with her speech.

Will looked thoughtful, so Tessa stayed quiet. Then she just barely gasped. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about before? I kind of got off topic."

He scratched the back of his head. "I don't remember."

Tessa exhaled. "Hmm. Oh well." Then she remembered how tired she was. "William," she said. His eyes met hers and he was looking at her in amusement at the mention of his full name. Jem called him that, and so did Cecily. Tessa might as well join in, but she knew that she'd stick with Will for most of the time.

"I'm still _awfully_ tired," she told him, feigning an overdramatic yawn.

He made more room for her and Tessa curled up into a sleeping position. She lazily said, "Read to me, Will."

"Which book?" he asked, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Surprise me," she told him, smiling herself.

There was a small table to his right with a stack of random books there. He grabbed one and held it up for her to see.

She immediately recognized the cover.

"Dickens is always promising," she remarked.

"Excellent. I've been told I have a lovely, melodic reading voice." He flipped the book to the front page where the title was written in overelaborate script.

Tessa rested her head against the arm of the chair and closed her eyes as soon as he started reading: "_It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness_…"

* * *

**A/N: **_Eh, I don't know how to feel about this chapter. But you know what?—THE MIDNIGHT HEIR CAME OUT YESTERDAY YAY! (__**JAMIE!**__ AWW.) I read it and my God, there were Great Expectations references in there and GRACE (Estella!) and __**how are we going to wait like five years for TLH. **__I was flailing around and screaming most of the time. It was so perfect, oh my gosh… _

_But! I shan't spoil anything for anyone, so just ignore me (PM me if you have read it and we can fangirl together and share theories :D)_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices, or A Tale of Two Cities, OR The Mortal Instruments since I stole some of Clary and Jace's words at the end, or anything else mentioned in this story._


	32. Chapter 32

**Previously...**

_Tessa rested her head against the arm of the chair and closed her eyes as soon as he started reading: "_It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness_…"_

* * *

A week later Cecily was bouncing around in excitement. Her birthday was only a week from today. Will looked amused as she grinned and twirled around the room. She would be turning sixteen.

Cecily heard the sound of a door opening and automatically assumed it'd be Tessa. They'd given her a key not too long ago and that Tessa was free to enter their house whenever she likes. So she spun around and nearly tripped as Edmund Herondale came in.

"Dad!" Cecily exclaimed. Edmund have her tight-lipped smile that showed no joy. She looked behind him. "Where's Mam?"

He shook his head. "She's working."

She deflated but Will smiled at her. What was up with him lately?

"Ah," said Cecily. "Do you know when she might come back?" Her father sent her a glare that immediately told her to be quiet. He strode across the room and started walking up the stairs.

Will made an indignant noise. "Cecy's birthday's next week, you know!" he shouted for his father to hear. Edmund Herondale stopped walking up the stairs and gave him a quizzical look.

"Is it?" he inquired. His two children nodded with expectant looks. "I completely forgot. Happy early birthday." And that was all.

Cecily's mouth dropped. Was that really it? She huffed. "He completely forgot. I can't believe it." She hated how her father spent most of his time out of the house—and her mother too—but forgetting her birthday? Had he really spent that much time out? It made Cecily increasingly upset and disappointed. She flopped down onto the couch and hid her face in the nearest pillow.

Her brother sighed and took a seat next to her, stroking her dark hair. "That's Father for you. Always so loving. So caring."

She uncovered the pillow from her face. "What if Mother doesn't remember either?" Will shook his head.

"I don't think that'd happen. She's different from Dad."

"Hopefully," said Cecily. She wanted to change the topic. It made her nauseous. She smiled at him innocently. "What do you think Tessa's doing?"

She watched as Will's cheeks colored red, which stood out on his pale skin. Cecily laughed, forgetting about the short conversation with her father. "You're blushing."

"I hate you."

"You love me."

"Only because you're my sister. Now shut up."

She grinned at him. "Probably reading."

"Maybe. Do you care?"

"Of course I do. She's my friend," she said matter-of-factly. "And yours too. Don't think I don't know about you sneaking off last week. I saw you. At Tessa's front door. What do you have to say for yourself, William?"

If possible, his flush grew darker. "I'm going upstairs."

"With Dad?"

Will covered his face with his hands. "If that's what it takes."

"I'll go with you," Cecily said. "We'll discuss wedding details."

His hands flew off his face and he looked absolutely livid. "_Wedding_?! For whom?"

She coughed. "Tessa and—"

"Don't say it," he warned, cutting her off. "You're welcome to go upstairs with me. You're welcome to go to my room. You can even go through my things if that's what you want to do. But if you even say the words wedding, relationship, or Tessa, I shall throw you out my window," Will declared.

Cecily rolled her eyes. "Fine. But you like her."

"_CECILY HERONDALE._"

"Never mind."

* * *

Jessamine Lovelace crossed the street into a dark alley near a small park. She agreed that she would meet him here, but she was freezing cold. Her hands and toes were numb. In the dark, she barely saw a small cloud from her breath.

Faintly, she heard the sound of water dripping to the concrete surface. She shivered.

Jessamine suddenly wanted to get out of the place, whether it meant leaving him or not. She was terrified of the dark and the alley.

She saw a darker shadow against the brick wall and she had the courage to speak up. "Nate? Nate is that you there?"

A pair of hands grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth with a gloved hand. She squealed. "Shh, Jessie, we wouldn't want anyone to hear you. Let her go," he commanded, and Jessamine was free. She took off the cowl she wore and revealed her face to him.

She knew this was Tessa Gray's brother. But she didn't care. She didn't care that he was older than her by at least two years. She didn't care. She loved him, and that was all that mattered.

"So your sister," Jessamine said slowly, but he immediately stopped her.

"She's not my sister," he snarled. Jessamine widened her eyes at him in shock, and he lowered his voice. "I am not the child of Richard and Elizabeth Gray. She is, not I."

She stared at him.

Nate sucked in a breath, and shook his head. "Never mind. Did you send the cookies to the Herondales?"

"You mean the biscuits?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes. "I don't care. Biscuits, whatever." He slurred his words, and she could tell he was drunk. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to plan a meeting with him when he just returned from a bar.

"I caught her sneaking out last week," said Nate suddenly.

She held back a sound of frustration. Instead, Jessamine sighed. "I don't care about _Tessa_. Let's talk about something else." She took a few steps closer to him, and ran a finger down his chest. "Let's talk about us."

Nate took her hand with his, and dropped it, her hand falling to her side. "Maybe another time," he said, "but we need to use the time we have now for our discussion. About Tessa."

"I don't see why we need to 'ruin her life' though. I don't care about her. Or that William Herondale. Not anymore. I care about _you_, Nate. Don't you see? I love you," Jessamine told him.

"And I love you too, darling Jessie," he said, twirling her hair in his hand. "And we will soon be engaged, I promise. We will wait for the right time." She smiled in satisfaction. "But as for now, we _need to plan._ We don't have much time. She's already suspicious. And her little friends, too."

"Fine." Jessamine sniffed. "Why did we have to go here, though, when we could've gone to my house? It's chilly."

Instead of taking off his jacket like men do in movies and books, he just stood there, impassive, and ignored her.

"So," said Nate, "Will Herondale broke her heart, as expected. Like you told me he would. But now everything seems happy between them. It's sickening."

Jessamine shrugged. "I don't like him anymore anyway. I actually think they're kind of cute." He rolled his eyes.

"Tessie should see you as more of a friend now. You're being nice to her, correct?" She nodded. "Good. I know she's going to Club Pandemonium in a week from today, for Cecily Herondale's party. It's invite only, but that won't matter. I work there, and you'll just have to go early."

Jessamine smiled. She liked parties. "And when I go there, we drug her drink?" she asked for clarification.

"Yes, exactly," Nate confirmed. "She'll be out in a few minutes. But we'll have to get Will Herondale away from her. Any ideas?"

Slowly, she grinned. "Oh, I have some ideas."

"Excellent. Do whatever you have to."

Her eyes were well adjusted now, and she noticed the two dark figures that stood on either side of Nate. She couldn't exactly make out their faces, but she noticed a slight silver color on the hair. It reminded her of someone, but she didn't really care. "Nate, who are these gentlemen? You haven't introduced me to them yet."

"Ah," said Nate, smiling smugly and crossing his arms over his chest. "This is Zachariah," he nodded at the silvery-haired man, "and this is Micah." Jessamine could hardly see either of their faces, but Micah was under more light and the shadows, she saw, made him look like he had no eyes. She staggered back, but none of them really seemed to notice.

Zachariah narrowed his eyes at her, almost looking suspicious. He looked over at Nate and Jessamine barely saw a burning hatred in the dark shadows of his eyes, though it was gone in merely a second and she'd begun to wonder if it was really there or not.

Nate gave them both a mocking smile. "I call them the Silent Brothers. They hardly ever talk. How annoying."

Jessamine expected them to say something then, but as Nate said, they were silent.

"As I was saying," Nate continued, "you can perhaps offer her some water after a while. Say she looks parched. I don't know. And she'll take the water. You walk away and distract the Herondale boy. I'll take over as soon as she collapses. There's a ship sailing out that night, to America. Maybe she'll end up in New York. She misses it there." He gave her a twisted smile and Jessamine was no longer sure she should join his plan, but she said nothing.

"Tell her you gave them the cookies—"

"Biscuits," she corrected.

"—and that they're homemade or something. Made with love. Whatever. Maybe they'll trust you. You know, get the suspicion they have away," he told her.

Jessamine nodded. "Okay. Tomorrow at school.

"You're the best," Nate said, and kissed her on the cheek. It meant the world to her, but it lacked any emotion. She tried not to depend on it. "I'll see you soon, my love."

And with that, she walked away.

* * *

Jem couldn't believe his ears. Tessa and everyone else was wary of the biscuits and so he decided to do a little research.

One night, Tessa's brother asked him to be like a security guard or something and that he'd pay him. He looked unidentifiable to everyone, Jem knew, and so he took it, only because he wanted to know why _Tessa's brother _would need to have such a thing. He knew something was going on. So he went under the alias as Zachariah, but said nothing more after that. He still had no idea who Micah was, though.

But to hear _this?_ And to have it be about his own sister? He was definitely not expecting that. He had to warn Tessa and everyone else immediately.

The next day, he promised, he would organize a meeting between them all and tell them everything.

* * *

**A/N: **_I don't know if you were expecting everything to be Nate or not. But in case you were, GOOD JOB. Jessamine wasn't as much of a bad guy as you all thought, but you know. She's just willing to do what Nate wants. And Jem is the good guy. Go Jem!_

_SO, here comes the bad news :/ On July 27, there's a huge possibility that I may not update only because I've going to sleepover at my friend's house (and it's her birthday) with some other friends (AND ONE WHO HATES ME FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON, WISH ME LUCK). I'm thinking of getting her something from Hot Topic from the TMI clothing line/jewelry stuff. _

_(I really want Isabelle's necklace or the serpent bracelet she has so bad.)_

_And then, after that, I'm going to San Francisco for a few days. So yeah._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	33. Chapter 33

**Previously…**

_The next day, he promised, he would organize a meeting between them all and tell them everything._

* * *

When Jem finished his story, Tessa stood shell-shocked. Her brother—her _own brother_—he would never do anything like that! As if she'd believe such nonsense. She looked over to Cecily and Will. Cecily didn't hide her shock, unlike Will who remained impassive.

"You're lying," said Tessa quietly.

Jem shook his head. "I'm not," he told her. Tessa frowned.

"Why were you even there in the first place?" Cecily asked, tilting her head and furrowing her eyebrows. Tessa was beginning to wonder that herself. He had to be making this up. But it was _Jem_. He wouldn't lie about something like this.

They'd all met up in the abandoned warehouse Cecily and Gabriel often went to. Jem had sent them all text message saying that it was urgent, and that they must go there at four o'clock straight immediately after school.

Jessamine, though, had apologized for her behavior, strangely, and admitted to sending those biscuits. Tessa thought it was nice, and thanked her politely, barely seeing Jem panicking out in the corner of the room.

After his explanation, she was a bit unsure. Maybe Jessamine had really done this because she was being kind for once. But according to Jem, apparently not.

Tessa was laying down on the couch she sat on the last time she was there, and started claiming it as her own. Will sat next to her, leaning comfortably against the edge with his legs resting on the coffee table and was playing with his hands, looking uninterested in the whole conversation until Tessa's brother came along.

She sat straight up, crossing her legs. "I told you," Jem said, mildly exasperated. "I was doing some research. I wore a hood and everything so my face?—it was dark, so it wasn't very easy to identify me. And he just asked me out of nowhere."

Cecily narrowed her eyes, but then shrugged, leaning back into her seat. "Good enough for me."

Strangely, Will was absolutely quiet throughout the whole thing. He still hadn't told anyone of the 'curse' to anyone else yet, making Tessa and Magnus the only ones who knew of it. He looked over to his left and saw Tessa staring at him, and his eyebrows shot straight up but still said nothing. She looked away, her cheeks tinting a light shade of pink.

"I don't know," Tessa said, trying to seem casual. "But what about Nate? He's always making me laugh. Comforting me. Like a brother. He hasn't done anything that'll convince me of _that_."

"If you guys think about it," Cecily sighed out, "I was actually kind of right about the drug thing."

"Kind of," Will then said, messing with his fingers and not looking at anyone. "Those were just some way to make us think good of Jessamine so when she goes to Club Pandemonium, we'll be all 'friendly' to her. I don't know about you three, but she could never win my friendship over something as silly as biscuits." His voice was gravelly and quiet, and Tessa furrowed her eyebrows.

Cecily jumped up. "Speaking of which, we have to make sure she does _not _get inside. Whether Tessa's brother works there or not. Will, do you think we can get some of Dad's private security? We could show them a picture of Jessamine." He shrugged in response, not really looking at her still.

Tessa gaped.

"What?" Cecily asked like it was nothing.

"Private security? Don't you think that's a little extreme?" She stared at her in bewilderment. "And besides, I know my brother, and he wouldn't do something like that." She crossed her arms defiantly.

Will gave her a look. "And how do you know he wouldn't?"

"Tessa, I was there. Trust me," Jem said pleadingly.

Tessa felt very claustrophobic all of a sudden. They kept bombing questions on her until her brain started hurting. She felt a sudden need for fresh air.

"I'm going outside," she said, cutting them off and having them stare at her blankly. "I can't breathe."

She got up from her chair and walked towards the door, a million thoughts racing in her head. She knows her brother. The same person who used to teach her how to dance, to give her advice and give her comfort when she needed it, wanting to harm her? To send her back to America? It didn't sound believable to her and wasn't easily convinced.

She pushed the exit open and heard a sound of pattering footsteps behind her. Tessa turned around, holding the door with her arm. Cecily was right there with a sad expression on her face. Before the door shut Tessa saw Will and Jem together looking more natural than ever before. The two of them were the best of friends, and now that they were together, everything seemed right in the world for those few seconds.

Tessa took a sharp intake of breath as the cool air bit her skin, and her head felt clearer. Cecily shivered and then Tessa whispered, "It's just that he's my brother. After spending most of my life with him, I'd never thought he'd do anything like this. I know him too well."

Cecily gave her a sympathetic look. "If Will ever did something like this, I'd be shocked, too. You have plenty of reasons to feel like this. You love him, after all."

"Yeah," said Tessa softly. "Why would he want to do anything like that? Was I not good to him or something? Was I not a good sister?"

Cecily sighed. "I don't know. But you _have_ to believe Jem." Tessa was still a little unsure, but nodded anyway. "Let's go back inside, okay?" She nodded again, and they opened the doors back to the inside of the warehouse, and Will looked up at Tessa, and they momentarily locked eyes with each other, and she expected him to say something again. But didn't. He was also quiet at school today, only talking when someone asked him something, but he kept his words short.

"Will, are you okay?" she said, drawing everyone's attention to him. He tilted his head, and she elaborated: "You're not talking much."

At that, he cracked a grin and Cecily laughed, replying with, "He's been yelling at our father for the past few days and his voice has gone hoarse. His throat just hurts." That explains the gravelly voice.

Jem widened his eyes. "What for? Why's he been yelling?"

Will opened his mouth to answer, but Cecily beat him to it. "Our father is being a bigger idiot than before."

"How come?" Tessa asked.

Will answered this time, his voice rough and husky, "He forgot her birthday."

Tessa's face softened. "Aw, Cecy…"

She shook her head and smiled. "It doesn't matter anyway. We're used to it."

_We're used to it_, Tessa repeated in her head. It was horrible that their parents were never there, and forgetting birthdays were just terrible, but the fact that they'd become used to it made her heart break right there.

"I brought sandwiches, in case you all want some," Cecily then said. "They're all peanut butter and jelly."

Everyone murmured in agreement and Cecily got up to get them for them all, saying, "I won't be a minute."

Meanwhile, Jem looked at Will in amusement. "Screaming your lungs off, were you, Will?"

He flashed a grin at him, winking once and Tessa snorted.

"Come on, Tess," Will said, and it sounded raspy. "You find it attractive, I bet. I think it's pretty masculine. What do you say, Jem?"

"_I _personally think you sound like a prepubescent boy," Tessa remarked, causing Jem to laugh, smirking at Will, who scowled.

"I do not," Will insisted, but his voice cracked and he covered his mouth, widening his eyes. Tessa and Jem snickered. "This is not funny, you two. This is a serious matter."

"Whatever you say, William," Cecily said, coming in with a tray of sandwiches in her arms. "Move your feet, lazy." She swatted his shoulder with her free hand, and he obeyed, removing his feet from the top of the coffee table and allowing her to place the tray down.

They were all cut up and small square-shaped sandwiches. Also, there were small glasses of water. They each took both and ate them in quiet, the only sound a faint buzzing noise from the electricity.

By the time they finished, Jem leaned forward in his chair. "Alright, now let's get serious."

Will jumped up and raised his hand like a little boy in school. Cecily sighed, looking disappointed in him. "Okay, so I think we all can agree that Tessa is not going to the party, yeah?"

Tessa's jaw dropped. "What!"

"Will, stop talking," Cecily commanded. "You'll lose your voice."

He scoffed. "Like I care."

"Like he can stop talking," Jem said in the same tone, and Tessa grinned at him.

Will sent him a look. "Seriously, though. I can't be the only one thinking it. If she doesn't go, then he, nor Jessamine, will get to her." Cecily gave him an impressed look. He stood up from the couch and, "I shall stay with Tessa and protect her," he declared boldly, his voice cracking a little at the end and then slipping into a coughing fit.

Tessa sighed. "My hero," she said flatly.

"No, it's a good idea," said Jem. "Nate wanted Jessamine to find a way to distract Will. As in…_distract Will_."

Will shuddered and grimaced, repeatedly saying, "Ew, ew, ew…" He then finished with, "How disgusting. Ugh. _Jessamine_." He said her name like it was poison.

"They'll stay here, then," Cecily proclaimed. "Nobody ever comes here except us. And Gabriel," she added quietly.

Her brother scoffed. "_Lightworm_," he grumbled. Tessa smacked him in the arm and Cecily smiled appreciatively at her.

"So, do we have everything settled?" Tessa asked, not at all pleased of the idea of staying on Cecily's birthday party.

Jem gave her an apologetic look. "Not quite. I don't think Tessa's safe at home. I think she's better off here."

"There's a bed here!" Cecily exclaimed, jumping up again.

Will fixed his gaze on her with a scowl. "Since this is Gabriel's place, as well as yours, may I ask _why _you have a bed here?"

Cecily flushed a deep dark red. She shook her head fervently. "Not for the reason you think," she said quickly.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Tessa can stay here."

Tessa stood up, crossing her arms. "Alone? And do I get any say in this?"

Will grinned at her. "Of course not, darling," he drawled, his voice still hoarse. "And Cecily can stay with you."

His sister gave him a look. "You're not staying at the house alone. Mam and Dad obviously aren't going to be there. And what if something happens? We need a _man_ to protect us." She grinned at him, and he did the same. Tessa took that moment to see how they looked almost identical. From their eyes, the color of their hair, to their smiles. If Cecily was only slightly older, they would look exactly alike.

"I'm convinced," Will said. "Jem, you might as well join us."

He shrugged. "I suppose."

"Great," Will said cheerfully, "it's a party."

Cecily was overjoyed. "I've got extra sleeping bags just in case!" And she ran over to the next room, out of sight.

Tessa banged her head against the back of the couch. "What did I get myself into," she asked aloud.

Will scooted next to her, his quiet demeanor now permanently gone. Tessa looked down and took the small cup of water that came along with the sandwiches. She reached for it, suddenly thirsty from realization that she had nothing to drink for most of the day.

"Don't worry, Tess," he said with a smirk on his face. "Maybe we'll end up sleeping in the same bed."

Tessa choked on her water.

* * *

**A/N: **_Hello! This chapter took a while, my apologies. SO, I went to the optometrist today out of nowhere (just like the vaccinations) and everything was good. I overall have great vision, I don't need glasses, just reading glasses and I am farsighted with astigmatism whoo_

_(My mom blames it for reading with a dark screen. It's only because I read fanfics at like 12 – 3 AM in the dark so it's kind of bright there... But I'd never tell her that.)_

_I feel like the A/N is not really an Author's Note, but more like me rambling on about my life. __WAIT, okay, so I have like 27,000+ views on this story, which means too many people have read about my life, and stuff that even my best friends don't know about. **WOW**. _

_Hmm. Oh well._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything mentioned in this story._


	34. Chapter 34

**Previously…**

_"Don't worry, Tess," he said with a smirk on his face. "Maybe we'll end up sleeping in the same bed."_

_Tessa choked on her water._

* * *

"We're all set," Cecily said, grinning ear-to-ear. They were all in the back room, one Tessa hadn't seen before, and there was one king-sized bed that was pushed against the wall in the very middle. The question of how Cecily managed to sneak in a bed in the place was itching in the back of her head, but she decided not to ask, still flustered from Will's comment.

There were, as Cecily said, only two sleeping bags sprawled out on the floor surrounding the bed. Also, there was an air mattress there too, fully pumped with air and a large bright purple blanket and a cream colored pillow on top.

"Who's sleeping on the air mattress?" inquired Jem.

Cecily shrugged. "I just know I'll be in a sleeping bag. They're so fun to be in. You two work this out." She pointed to him and Will, walking off and leaving the three in the same room.

Immediately, Will insisted that Jem should take it and Jem insisted that Will should take it. They began arguing on the topic, and Tessa sighed and lied down on the bed. It was very comfortable and the fabric of the comforter was incredibly soft. She smiled before looking up and seeing them both still wanting the other to take the air mattress.

In the end, Will just threw up his hands and said, "You know what? I'll just take the sleeping bag. This one. I don't even care if it's pink, you know."

"But wouldn't you rather have a _purple_-covered bed?" Jem asked, looking at him with pleading eyes.

Will shook his head. "Of course not. I shall take this one."

Tessa had to squint her eyes at the bright purple blanket. It was Cecily's, probably from a younger age since Tessa learned that now she wouldn't want to be seen with that.

Cecily then entered the room with a cup full of what looked like orange juice. She sipped it with a straw. Then Jem, smirking just barely, whispered something into Cecily's ear and her eyes lit up. Then a moment later, she burst out in giggles. She nodded once at him, and Tessa cocked her head to the side.

"Tessa, why aren't you saying anything?" Jem asked.

"I'm imitating Will," she said in a light voice with a smile. Tessa shot straight up when she saw a bookcase leaning against the wall not too far away. She hopped off the bed and went straight toward it but was disappointed to find it filled with children's books.

"You know, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," Will told her from the distance, winking once. Tessa rolled her eyes but still felt her cheeks redden. He followed her and pulled a book from the shelf she was looking at. She blinked.

"_Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_," Will read, flipping the book. "You like stuff like this, don't you? It was made in 1865."

He held out the book and Tessa did nothing except reply, "I'm aware. But that book is for little children. It's full of nonsense."

"There's plenty of sense in nonsense sometimes, if you wish to look for it," Will responded but put the book back in its shelf.

"Will!" Cecily shouted. They both turned to look at her. She gave him a pleading look. "Don't be angry."

Will gave her a questioning look.

"I may or may not have spilled orange juice all over your sleeping bag," Cecily said quietly and Will sighed, walking over to her and having a conversation Tessa wasn't really paying attention to. She spotted this shorter-paged one and reached for it, and gasped when she saw it.

"I used to read this in first grade!" she said to herself, looking through the pages, the bookshelf forgotten and she began walking around in small circles, no one really paying attention to her.

* * *

**Meanwhile, at the Herondales' house…**

Linette skimmed down the pages of the magazine at the kitchen table, looking at a little article about a recipe for chocolate cake. Curiously, she glanced over at the oven, deciding whether she should make it or not. But then she noticed something very odd. The house was _quiet_.

"Edmund, dear," Linette called out. He was in their room doing who knows what. "Have you seen William or Cecily?"

The response was silence. Of course, she'd expected that from him. She sighed and continued reading the article and soon, Edmund shouted back in reply, "Not at all!"

She stroked the front page of the magazine. She hummed, and then began walking up the stairs and began checking their rooms. Cecily's was empty. Sometimes she went inside her brother's room, so Linette checked Will's door, but it was empty.

Then after a moment of staring, she shrugged. "Oh well." And she went back downstairs to make the cake.

* * *

Jem then suggested loudly, "I think Tessa's bed has room for one more."

Tessa snapped the book shut and stared at him, aghast. She made her way back to where they all were. "_What_?"

Cecily said, "I think it's a great idea."

Will glared at her. "I'd rather sleep on the floor."

Tessa scowled. "Wow, thanks, Will!" He gave her a look, and Tessa said, "Whatever. I'm not sleeping with _him_."

Will gestured to her. "See! If she doesn't want to, then I have more reason not to." His hands dropped to his sides. Both of their cheeks were red and Tessa felt like she was in flames. They were avoiding eye contact with them all, both of their eyes glued to the floor.

Cecily and Jem exchanged a look, and he said, "Would you rather sleep in the basement? The cold, hard basement? Where you'd be sleeping on a _stone floor_?"

"I'm sure Tessa can make some room, right, Tess?" Will said stiffly through gritted teeth.

"Whatever," Tessa grumbled, her whole face on fire. "Just don't kick in your sleep."

"Fine," he muttered and she exited the room, feeling the need to scream but instead grumbled, "_I hate everyone._"

* * *

They had all slept in their regular clothes.

Of course, Will wasn't really bothered with it himself; he was just trying to find more excuses as to why she might be uncomfortable without naming Tessa.

She wasn't facing him, but her back was instead. He closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but the sound of his heart pounding was too loud and wasn't something he could easily ignore.

_Cecily should've taken the bed_, Will thought. It would've been less awkward and they were brother and sister anyway, so it wouldn't have been weird.

Will's entire body was buzzing with anxiety—could it be because of the proximity?—and it made him the only one awake. Everyone else was sleeping soundly. He tapped his fingers on the bed. He was still angry that Gabriel and Cecily had been here, and that they had bothered to even bring a bed. What were they planning to do on this bed? Hmm? He felt sick to his stomach.

Suddenly, Tessa turned over and Will widened his eyes. The side of her face rested against his arm, her brown curls sprawled the rest of his arm and his hand. He might as well have died right then and there.

But while she was there and he probably couldn't draw his arm back without waking her up, he took the moment to notice how at peace her face looked with her features softened. He also noticed that her nose was scrunching up just barely, like a rabbit, and Will faintly snorted.

Slowly, he fell asleep.

. . .

The first thing he awoke to at four o'clock in the morning was the sound of Tessa screaming.

His eyes flew open and for a few seconds, he wondered, _Where am I?_ Then he remembered the warehouse and memories came flooding into his head.

Tessa's gray eyes were wide. Will furrowed his eyebrows. "What?" he murmured, his voice deep from sleep. His throat was still sore, he thought unhappily. Then he realized how close she was. His arm was wrapped around her, holding her against him. Of course, she didn't seem notice that _her_ leg was wrapped around his.

"Sorry," he said quickly and took his arm off and rolled to the side. Cecily yawned, getting up and rubbing her eyes. Then she saw Will and Tessa, and hollered with laughter.

Will scowled at her. "Shut up, Cecily," he grumbled, cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

Tessa was avoiding all contact with him and quickly jumped off the bed, mumbling, "I'm going to get some water."

He shoved a pillow up his face and groaned, Cecily snickering. She'd gotten on top of the bed without him realizing, and she patted his arm. He took the pillow off and she crooned, "I think it's sweet."

Will ignored her.

"Jessamine said you guys would be cute together. At least, that what's Jem told me," she continued.

"I hate you."

"You could never hate me."

"I do now."

"Please." She stroked her fingers through his hair like his used to do to her when they were younger. Will sighed. "I'm your favorite person in this world."

"Second favorite," he told her.

She raised an eyebrow and stopped the movement with her fingers. "Oh? And who's the first?"

"Not you," he said. "Let's leave it at that. It could be Jem."

"Could be." She shrugged. "I'm actually too sleepy to care at the moment, so I'll go back to sleep."

"Whatever," he said and Tessa walked in the room with a cup of water just as Cecily got into her sleeping bag.

Her hair was wild from tossing and turning in sleep, but she didn't seem to care, and just took a sip of the water. There were just faint dark circles under her eyes and she made eye contact with Will, cheeks blazing red which was visible even under the dim lighting.

"It's too early to be up and about at this hour," Tessa said, her voice thick with sleep.

He stared at her as she walked to the bed.

"Move over, Will," she commanded softly, and he did as she said, making room for her. She got in, bringing the sheets up to her waist, and she placed her head on his chest. Will looked incredulous, and he felt her smile.

_She was just screaming about this earlier,_ Will thought, not knowing what to do.

"Do the thing you were doing earlier," she said, and he thought that this was the sleep talking, and she was tugging at his arm and she made him wrap his arm around her waist. Will sucked in a breath. Embarrassment flooded his body once realizing that Cecily was hearing the whole thing.

She sighed in contentment, and whispered, "Good night, Will."

* * *

**A/N: **_I don't know if this is good or not considering I poured my heart and soul into another story I'm writing, so… I liked the beginning though!_

_Hopefully it's good enough. My brother abandoned me by going to this pool party or whatever and he left this little toy car from a few years ago that plays the radio and I keep turning it off, but at random times it comes back on and I don't know what to do and I'm kind of scared. I should probably just take the batteries out or something, but I'm too lazy, even if it is just a foot away._

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own The Infernal Devices._


	35. Chapter 35

**Previously...**

_She sighed in contentment, and whispered, "Good night, Will."_

* * *

Tessa woke up to the sound of Cecily laughing.

Will was still asleep and her head was on his chest. She widened her eyes and inched away until she got off the bed and stood up, rubbing her eyes.

She ignored Cecily as she attempted to stifle her laughter but failed immensely. Tessa walked out of the room and found a mirror, but her eyes were still blurry from sleep, so she waited for them to focus, and then groaned. Her hair wasn't all that messy as it was earlier, but still was a little bit.

"Cecily," Tessa tried saying in a not too loud voice. "Do you have a hairbrush with you?"

Cecily came into the room and nodded, reaching in a bag and pulling one out, and she handed it to Tessa who took it. She quickly brushed her hair through the infuriating tangles until her hair was somewhat acceptable.

"I think I'm just going to go home," Tessa told her as she splashed some water on her face.

When she looked up, Cecily was standing right before with an incredulous look on her face. "I don't think so! Not with your crazy brother."

Tessa frowned. "Well, I can't stay here forever. And I need a new change of clothes." And it was true. If she did, then Nate would probably end up calling the police. He doesn't even know of her staying here.

"Sure you can!" Cecily insisted. "And I can always buy you something."

Tessa shook her head. "Thank you, really, but I'd rather you don't."

"Nonsense." She waved a hand. "We would rather have you safe."

"I don't need protecting," Tessa said and walked back into the room where they slept. Will and Jem were still sleeping and Will's head was covered by a pillow. She walked over to him and lifted it up so he wouldn't suffocate.

She made a protesting noise. "But—"

Tessa held up a finger. "Shh. You don't want to wake up the boys." She knew she was kind of being a jerk, but it was necessary. She was fine on her own.

Tessa's phone, which was right next to the bed, started ringing and Tessa tried to reach for it and answer before it could wake up both Will and Jem, but they were already rising and yawning. She mentally cursed herself.

As Will started waking up, he reached out for Tessa's side of the bed with a muffled, "_Tess_." When he found nothing, he stared at the bed blankly until they locked eyes. He looked relieved.

"Good morning, Will," Tessa said, her eyes shifting between him and his outstretched hand. He pulled it back.

"Good morning," he said back in a low voice. He looked around with a puzzled look. "What time is it?"

"Eight o'clock," Cecily piped up, and with a hint of a smirk on her lips. Jem looked up curiously and raised his eyebrows.

"What's going on?" he asked. He stood up from the air mattress, pushing the bright purple blanket away with a grimace.

"Nothing," said Tessa automatically.

Cecily gave her a look. "_Tessa_ said she should go home."

Will looked up. "Absolutely not!"

Tessa crossed her arms. "Why not? I'm my own person. I can do what I like." She stuck her chin up defiantly.

"And risk getting murdered?" said Will, his voice cracking just slightly.

Jem looked over at him. "Well, he never said murder. Just drugging and shipping her to the States." He shrugged.

Will faked a smile. "Thanks, Jem. You're a big help."

"Well, I don't think he'll do it early. He had this specifically planned for the party," Jem told him. Tessa sighed. She just wished she could go home. She didn't want for this to happen.

Cecily ran and jumped on the middle of the bed with a grin on her face. "I have an idea!" she exclaimed.

Will stared at her. "That was impressive."

"Thanks." She smiled smugly. She put her hands on her hips. "Tessa could stay with us."

"What do you mean?" Tessa asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I mean that you can stay at our house," Cecily said. "We have plenty of room. A bit too much, if you ask me."

Will rolled his eyes. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Why not?" Cecily shrugged. "Our parents probably wouldn't mind, and she can share my room." It was a good idea, but Tessa couldn't have that happen.

"Or the guest room," Will muttered. "Or the _other_ guest room."

Tessa shook her head. "I couldn't do that. It wouldn't be fair to either of you." She didn't want to live in their house because they'd have to pay for her stuff, food, and things and she didn't want them to do that for her. "I just want to go home." She frowned, sitting on the couch. "And my brother's 'working' right now anyway, so I'm fine."

No one said anything for a while. She sat on the edge of the bed looking down and Cecily just sat down on her sleeping bag with a frustrated look on her face.

"Okay, well," Jem spoke up, "if that's what you want to do, then okay. We can't force you to do anything, but you have to know that you're risking your safety when he does come home."

Tessa sighed and nodded. She wished they didn't have to baby her.

Will got up with a scowl. "Fine, let her do what she wants. But I still think she'd be better off here with us." She looked over at him and glared.

"I don't need protecting, Will," Tessa snapped.

He looked indignant. "You might think that, but you do."

She made a frustrated noise and he rolled his eyes at her, telling her to not be such a child. Cecily and Jem were quiet as they both continued arguing over the matter, until Tessa just stormed out of the room, grabbing onto her things and heading towards the door until a hand snatched her wrists without being very gentle.

She spun around. It wasn't Cecily or Jem. She knew they'd be more careful with her. But Will on the other hand…

And sure enough, it was.

"What do you want, Will?" she asked with a hint of annoyance.

He still held onto her wrists. She shifted around anxiously, just wanting to get this over with. "Why can't you understand that we just want to help you, but instead, you just push us away?"

"I _told_ you, Will. I don't need protecting," she replied, keeping her voice strong and firm.

His eyes were blazing. "I just want you safe."

She furrowed her eyebrows. _You?_ she thought in her head, but did not dare to ask aloud. "Why?"

Will seemed genuinely surprised by the question. "_Why_?" he repeated. "Why wouldn't I?"

She looked at him in disbelief. "What? You can't turn the question on me!"

"Sure I can." Will grinned, and his grip loosened a bit. She used it as her opportunity to free herself, but he tightened his grip once again. Tessa groaned inwardly. "But back to the point. At least stay with us."

"I don't want to have his conversation, Will," she said and she pulled her wrists back, but he pulled her forward. She blushed. "Um. Okay, fine. I'll stay."

A smug smile appeared on his lips. "Alright then."

"At least let me get clothes, though. He's working," she told him again.

Will sighed. "Fine. But I'm going with you."

"Okay, then." He let go of her wrists and they walked to the exit and to Tessa's car. "I took the car so one of his friends had to drive him to work. This wouldn't be the first time."

He nodded and later, they drove off.

* * *

After Tessa parked in her driveway, she and Will made her way to the door. Strangely, it was already a bit open, and Tessa exchanged a look with Will. She opened the door and it was absolutely quiet. The first thing she did was go to the kitchen, taking Will's hand in hers and dragging him there. Usually when this sort of stuff happens, he leaves a note. So Tessa searched the kitchen and then…

There was a note on the counter, just as she predicted, and it said:

_Tessie:_

_Where are you? If you're reading this note, I'm at work. Please reply. I'm worried about you._

_-Nate_

"Bullshit," said Will, and she gave him a scolding look. She put the note back and searched for a large bag to put her stuff in. When she found one, she ran up the claustrophobic staircase until she reached her room with Will right behind her. She pushed her door open and her room was just as she left it. A good sign.

She grabbed one of her pillows and stuffed it in the bag; she grabbed her computer and put it in. Then she grabbed one of her old backpacks from a few years ago and grabbed some of her clothes with her and shoes. While she packed her stuff, Will was watching TV in her room. She rolled her eyes, and continued packing until she'd gotten most of her electronics and personal stuff.

"I think we're done," Tessa said. He stood up and nodded.

They left the room, but Will stopped as they walked past the guest room, and then went inside. Tessa, in silent inquiry, followed him and he smiled. "Isn't this the room we painted?"

Memories of a paint-soaked Will and Tessa flashed through her head quickly, and she nodded with a smile. "Yeah."

They stood there for a while with Tessa staring thoughtfully at the walls.

"It's a shame I have to leave the house," Tessa said quietly. "I worked really hard on it."

He looked over at her. "You'll get it back," he said, a promise in his voice.

"What are we going to do about Nate, though?" Tessa asked. She wasn't going to be able to go to Club Pandemonium, so what would they do when they got him? Call the police? Of course, she didn't like the idea of her brother getting arrested, but knew it would have to happen.

Will sighed. "We're not sure yet."

"You'll have to decide quickly," she told him.

"Yeah," he said. He looked up at the walls. "I know."

* * *

**A/N: **_Eh, boring chapter, but whatever. I'm going to publish a few stories for you guys since I'll be gone tomorrow (San Francisco!) and a few days after that. Just to keep you all satisfied._

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story.**


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: **_This chapter is legitimate Wessa. Enjoy._

**Previously…**

"_You'll have to decide quickly," she told him. _

"_Yeah," he said. He looked up at the walls. "I know."_

* * *

It was the day of Cecily's party.

Tessa slumped unhappily against the wall, crossing her arms. Cecily and Jem were there at Club Pandemonium. Will wasn't, though, as well as Tessa. They were in the basement in the warehouse, and Will was talking on his phone.

Tessa was insanely bored. She was already upset with the fact that she couldn't go to the party, but Will wouldn't let her do anything else. The only option was doing nothing, and that was it. He wouldn't let her go outside, not even for a moment. When she asked him for food, he ordered some pizza while in the room, keeping a close eye on her.

So an hour later, she asked for a drink.

Will narrowed his eyes. "You're not going to do anything, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Not like I have a choice."

He watched her as he climbed up the stairs, and then when he left, Tessa let out a loud exhale of relief and stood up, walking around the room since her legs were stiff and sore.

There was nothing interesting going on. Nothing interesting to look at. The only thing she _could_ look at were ugly, grungy grayish-green walls and the cold cement floor.

She wondered if Nate was already there, and if he would be looking around for Tessa, only to find out that she wouldn't be there. What would happen then? How would he react to that? Maybe he'd give up. Or maybe he'd keep looking.

And Jessamine. How _dare_ she say she'll 'distract Will.' Distract him how? Tessa shuddered in disgust. She didn't even want to know. And the fact that Nate didn't care what she did to distract him? And here Tessa thought he cared for her. But she was wrong. Just like how she thought that Nate cared for her.

She heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and Tessa spun around. Will walked off the last step with two drinks in his hands. When he saw her, he lowered the drinks with a disappointed look, and he sighed. "I thought you said you were not going to do anything."

Tessa ignored him. "Hey, your voice isn't cracking." _Too bad,_ Tessa thought and didn't add. She thought it was very funny when it did.

He glared, and then walked over to her, placing the drink in her hand. They sat down on the floor with their legs crossed. She brought the cup up to her lips and drank, pretending not to notice him watching her as she did so.

He was still watching her when she put the cup down.

"What are you doing?" she asked, putting a hand under her chin.

Will tried to smile, but couldn't manage it. "I don't want to tell you."

She gave him a look. "Seriously? Don't be a child, Will."

He rolled his eyes, and then anxiously ran a hand through his already messy hair, only messing it up a little bit more. Tessa licked her lips. "I don't want to offend you, is what I mean."

"If you tell me you don't want to offend me, I will not be offended," she stated matter-of-factly.

He took in a deep breath. "All right. I can't stop thinking about your brother. I'm worried. And when I look at you, you don't look affected at all." He reached for her hand, and she tensed, but then let him take it. Will absently ran his thumb in circles on the top of her hand. It was comforting, admittedly.

_He's worried about you_, she repeated in her head over and over. She tried not to depend on it too much. She forgave him for the 'incident' on the balcony since she knew the reason, but she was still a little wary. She had to be careful.

She stayed quiet, and he stood up, letting their hands slowly slide away from each other. "I'm going to lock close the door—you know, the one that leads to the basement?" Tessa nodded, and heard him as he went up the stairs.

She heard the door slam shut, and she looked at her surroundings. The only light there were a few candles lit in the corners of the room. It set off a bit of a brownish with a hint of yellow and orange color to the ugly walls, as well as the ground. It was much darker now with the door closed, the only light they had now gone. Tessa had to squint her eyes a little to see.

Will came back sitting down across from her. "Why do we need to close the door?" Tessa asked.

He raised his eyebrows. "Does it matter?"

"I just want to know," she said with a shrug.

"You just like to ask questions," he said.

She narrowed her eyes. "You always say that."

"Because it's true," he told her with a grin. "Anyway, it's just extra precaution."

She nodded her head, not saying that she thought it was a little bit too extreme, and took a sip of her water. "Ah." She put down the cup. "Well, thanks for protecting me."

He smiled smugly. "You're quite welcome."

She ignored the last part. "You're being so…protective, though."

"I believe that is one of the requirements of protecting."

She shook her head. "Never mind."

. . .

Tessa was bored.

She was already, but now it was too much. She wasn't tired, just bored. Will wouldn't even let her use her phone, saying that she could contact someone or whatever. Now he was taking this protecting thing a bit too far.

He was on his phone, though, which was completely unfair but he didn't even listen to her.

There was a point where Tessa just shut her eyes and pretended to fall asleep with her body sprawled out on the ground. He hadn't paid attention at first, but later he started panicking and checked her heart rate. Did he really think she was dead or something?

Apparently, because he was muttering to himself, "_Oh God, I should've given her more water, or more food…_"

She tried not to laugh, she really did, but she couldn't help herself, and a giggle escaped her mouth. He turned around, and a scowl was plastered on his face.

"Did you think I was dead? Seriously?" she asked, sitting up.

He stared at her like he couldn't believe she would do such a thing. She grinned. "_No_, I just maybe thought you had fainted from dehydration, or…or…" He couldn't continue because she was laughing at him. He glowered. "Don't scare me like that."

"I scared you?" Tessa couldn't believe him. "Come on. It wasn't even that believable."

"Whatever."

He was pacing around the room and she rolled her eyes. Then she had a realization. "_Aww_, Will, were you worried about me?"

He froze, and looked at her with a mocking look. "Ha, no."

She smirked, but decided not to continue. She didn't want to be on bad terms with him, since he was the one who would be watching her for the rest of the day. So she didn't annoy him any further.

Minutes passed, and Tessa was growing increasingly more bored. She had asked him what time it was, and Will replied that it was nearly seven-thirty. She sighed. Will had laid on the floor not too long ago with his phone raised above his face, causing a bright white light to shine over him. She decided to imitate his actions, and lay next to him. He looked over to her, and then smiled. She smiled back, and scooted closer to him.

She watched as he typed in something on his phone. It was the only light (besides the candles) in there. She listened to the sound of his breathing, slow and heavy, and focused on it. Her eyes were growing just slightly tired from watching the bright screen. Tessa yawned, covering her mouth with her hand.

He stopped, and turned his head to look at her. "Are you tired?" he asked.

Tessa shook her head. "No," she answered, her voice small and meek.

Will rolled his eyes. "Come here," he whispered, turning off his phone and putting it to the side. She furrowed her eyebrows, but obeyed, and he pulled her in with her head lying on his chest and his arm wrapped around her tightly. She bit hard on the inside of her cheek, trying to calm down the nervous feeling she felt.

Tessa closed her eyes as he slowly brought his hand up and down against her arm soothingly. She brought her head up moments later, and told him bluntly without really thinking, "Your heart beat's fast." Tessa bit her tongue, and mentally admonished herself.

Will's cheeks were tinted a light pink. "Sorry."

Tessa smiled. She could feel herself slowly drifting to sleep, and tried to stop it. Suddenly feeling bold, Tessa lightly pressed her lips against his cheeks. He inhaled sharply, and the pink color turned almost red.

Then, he gently pushed her off of him and stood up, scratching the back of his neck. Tessa felt her heart sink, and regretted her actions. She sat up slowly and stared at him in confusion. "I—I'm sorry. Tessa, I can't do this anymore."

Tessa was even more confused. "Do what?" she asked.

Will looked like he was struggling for words. "This…_friendship_ we have. I can't." Ouch. That hurt.

She attempted to look passive and crossed her arms. "Oh?"

Then Will widened his eyes, as if realizing what he said. "No, I didn't mean it like that." His expression was pained.

"What did you mean, then?" she demanded, her tone harsh.

He bit his lip, and Tessa stared impatiently at him. "I mean that I can't be _just_ friends with you anymore. It's too much. I feel like I'm going insane with each moment and I can't handle it anymore. It's been like this since I first met you, and I didn't know how to deal with it because this has never happened to me before. And Tessa, I think I might even lo—_oh_."

Tessa stopped him by standing up and nearly running into his arms, and before her brain could register the action, he crashed his lips onto hers, one hand tangled in her hair and the other around her waist, pulling her closer to him. It took Tessa a second to respond, and soon her mouth was moving with his.

Then it was almost like they were trying to devour each other. Tessa arched her back against him, wanting—_needing_ the proximity, needing him. His hands were roaming all over her body, sending faint electric shocks with each touch.

Will linked his hands under her thighs and she straddled him. He walked forward, slamming her back into the cold hard wall. Tessa yelped, but didn't pay much attention to the pain. She was distracted of thoughts of everything Will, and in that moment, she remembered absolutely nothing about herself, and everything about him.

Her fingers reached up and curled in his hair—something she's been wanting to for a long time now—and tugging slightly and was rewarded with a groan from him. Then his lips moved from hers to the corner of her mouth, leaving a trail of kisses as light as air down to her throat and to the side of her neck, causing Tessa to gasp and throw her head back.

Soon his lips found his way back to hers and kissed with an almost bruising force, and she returned it with as much fervor. She fisted the ends of his jacket, tugging at it, and he shrugged it off, throwing it to the ground with a hand. It fell to the floor with a loud _thump._

Unfortunately, as soon as the jacket fell, someone shouted, "_WHAT THE HELL?_"

Will and Tessa snapped their head towards the staircase that led up, and the door to the basement was wide open. And descending the staircase was Cecily Herondale with James Carstairs on her heels, and he looked extremely uncomfortable. They froze in momentary shock before Tessa's legs unhooked around his waist and he helped her get down. And then they stood a few inches from each other away, their eyes downcast and both of them looking awkward and embarrassed, and their faces were scarlet.

Cecily, the one who shouted before, looked surprised, and then her face lit up and she smirked at them both. "Well, it's about _time._ I leave you two alone in a basement—what else was I expecting?" She walked down the stairs and if possible, their faces grew redder. "How adorable. Jem, they're blushing." She patted him on the shoulder.

Will made an irritated sound. "Why aren't you at the—"

His sister was then serious. "We left because we need to get you out of here. Her brother knows she's here, and we need to leave immediately."

"What?" Tessa finally said after a while.

Jem told her, "We need to leave. _Now_."

And they ran up the stairs and through the door, grabbing a few things, and then they left.

* * *

**A/N: **_Hello! So. __**Wessa kiss**__. Most of you have been wanting for them to kiss in the reviews, and all I can say is: Ask and you shall receive. So here it is._

_In case you're wondering _how_ he knows, you'll find out in the next chapter. I just got back from California. We moved from hotel to hotel and had very limited wifi, some other time was spent at my grandparents' house (who have absolutely no internet whatsover), and the rest on the road. So that is why I was gone :P_

**But in other news, The Pale Red Queen and I are writing a story together! It's our take on TLH and it's called Beautiful Horrors. The prologue is already out so if you want to check it out, it's on her account :)**

_Next chapter, Cecy and Jem's experience at Club Pandemonium._

**Disclaimer: **_Sadly, I do not own The Infernal Devices and I am not Cassandra Clare. *sigh*_


	37. Chapter 37: Club Pandemonium

**Previously…**

_Jem told her, "We need to leave. Now."_

_And they ran up the stairs and through the door, grabbing a few things, and then they left._

* * *

**Club Pandemonium**

It was Cecily's sixteenth birthday. She was all dolled up in a strapless royal blue chiffon dress that ended just slightly above her knees, and her shoes were silver heels. It was something her brother Will would never approve of, saying that it was too revealing and that she should change into something that stopped at the top of her neck and covered her arms and legs and everything. She rolled her eyes at the thought of him. It wasn't like she was living in the Victorian era, since that was the sort of dresses women would wear. Her hair cascaded in long dark curls and she had on a light amount of makeup.

And around her neck, she wore a ruby heart pendant with the words_ amor verus numquam moritur _that Will had given to her. She had studied Latin, and knew this meant _True love never dies_. Why he'd given her a necklace with that inscription, she'd never know, but it was beautiful and she cherished it with all her heart.

She was dancing with her boyfriend Gabriel Lightwood, laughing and talking over the loud upbeat music, and occasionally, some people would approach her and wish her a happy birthday. She would smile graciously and say thank you.

But there was still a nervous feeling in her chest. She casually looked around and searched for Tessa's brother, Nathaniel Gray. But so far, she couldn't find him. It was honestly sort of frustrating, but she had to make sure they'd find him.

Jessamine was nowhere to be found either. Cecily knew she would be dressed in a slutty and revealing dress, since that was what she usually wore anyway and figured that at a party, she'd dress even worse. But just like Nate, it was almost like she wasn't there.

Cecily met eyes from the distance with Jem who was sneaking around, keeping an eye on everyone. For a moment, she gave him an expectant look as if to ask if he's found anything. He shook his head, and Cecily made a noise of irritation. Gabriel faltered in his steps and gave her and odd look. "Are you alright, Cecy?"

She could just hear Will's voice saying, _That's _my_ nickname for her!_

Cecily smiled at him. "Of course I am. I think I'll need a drink though." She needed to talk to Jem, and this would be her only way to get to him.

Gabriel perked up. "I'll get you some water." Cecily nodded and he went off, and then walked towards Jem.

"James," Cecily called, raising her voice so he would hear her. He did and turned to face her.

"Cecily," he said cheerfully with a smile. "How are you?"

"Great," she answered quickly, and then asked him, "Have you seen Nate yet? Or Jessamine?"

Jem grimaced. "Unfortunately, no. They're not anywhere to be found."

Cecily groaned, slightly miffed now. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned around to see Gabriel receiving the drinks. She turned back to Jem. "Sorry, Jem. I'll be back with you later. Tell me if you see any of the two." Jem nodded and then slid back into the crowd, no longer visible.

She yelped as Gabriel appeared from nowhere. His green eyes widened, nearly spilling the water. "Sorry," he murmured, and then handed the cup to her. She took it, and took a few sips before placing the cup on a nearby counter.

After a few more dances with Gabriel, she met up with Jem once again. "Anything?" Cecily asked.

"Nothing." Jem looked a bit frustrated as well. "How are we ever going to find them? They said they'd be here."

"We'll just have to keep looking, I suppose," said Cecily with a frown. "I wish Will and Tessa were here."

Jem looked thoughtful. "I wonder what they're doing. Must be rather boring, stuck in a basement for a few hours."

Cecily rolled her eyes. "I bet they're reading book quotes to each other." He grinned, and then it was immediately erased. Cecily gave him a quizzical look, and then she turned around. _Jessamine Lovelace._

Jessamine made eye contact with them, and then walked up to them both as fast as she could in heels. Her hands were shaking, and she looked panicked. "I need to talk to you both," Jessamine told them in a low voice. "_Now_."

Cecily glared. "Why should we listen to you?"

She scowled. "Do you want Tessa safe or not? I'm trying to _help_ you," she hissed, and Cecily was taken aback, but then kept her composure and narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"I don't believe you," she said coolly.

Jessamine growled impatiently. "I'm telling the truth! We don't have much time, and Nate knows where they are," she spoke quickly, and Cecily widened her eyes.

Jem and Jessamine locked eyes, and she was pleading now. "Believe me. _Please_, I'm trying to help you. Why won't you believe me?"

"Because you're a bitch," Cecily sneered, and didn't regret her words at all. Jessamine actually looked surprised. "You have been mean to every single person at school, and we're all sick of it. We're sick of the 'school-slut' thing you have going on, and I absolutely cannot _stand_ you. You tried hooking up with my brother on _numerous_ occasions, and guess what? He doesn't like you either! That's why I don't like you!"

She looked hurt, but Cecily kept going. "You terrorize everyone—and I mean everyone—on a daily basis. Did you think people would like you for that? _They don't_. And then right when we thought you couldn't get worse, you team up with Tessa's brother the traitor, and we hate you even more for that."

Jessamine was crying now, and Jem put a hand on Cecily's shoulder, giving her a look that read _stop._ So she kept her mouth shut.

"I'm sorry," Jessamine sobbed. "I just wanted to be liked, to be popular. Is that so wrong? And I love Nate, but he doesn't love me. I'd just realized it, and he only wanted to use me for this mission. He didn't say the words specifically, but he might as well have." Her lips quivered, and then Cecily started to feel bad. "And I know that what he wants to do was wrong, and he told me everything and I can help you with Tessa! Just _please_," she gasped out,"_believe_ me. I want to help you. And we haven't got much time now. Like I said, he knows where she is."

Jem took a step forward with wide eyes. "How does he know?"

Jessamine sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, streaks of mascara running down her face. It was then that Cecily noticed that she too had been in a dress which was not at all slutty, like Cecily thought. She wore a white gown (the color looked very nice on her, in all honesty) that dropped to her calves. Her blonde locks of hair were curled also, bouncing just below her shoulders. She looked very beautiful, and wouldn't be surprised if boys were staring at her from afar. She answered, "It isn't very hard. He…hired someone to stalk her. He knows she's been staying at the warehouse."

"The sick bastard!" Cecily exclaimed, which caused Jessamine to sob louder. Nobody noticed her sobs over the loud music yet, and Cecily didn't want anyone to. She pulled them to a corner where no one was in sight, and Cecily breathed a sigh of relief. The bright variety of different colored lights were blinding her and starting to give her a headache. Now they were away from them, and the ache was starting to dull down. Jem gave her yet _another_ look, and Cecily huffed.

"Where is he?" he asked.

Jessamine shook her head, less tears falling from her eyes now. "He's not inside. He's outside, waiting for Tessa's arrival."

"Fine," Jem said, and the word was strained. "We'll trust you for now. But no lies. Do you promise?"

Jessamine nodded. "I swear on the Angel."

Jem raised his eyebrows, as well as Cecily. That meant that it would be a promise she wouldn't even dare to break.

"What do we do next?" Cecily asked.

. . .

The black vehicle (specifically a van) screeched to a halt, right in front of the not-so abandoned warehouse. Jessamine tilted her head at the sight, and Cecily said quickly, "Stay here." Jessamine nodded silently, and Jem went with her.

They ran inside, swinging the doors open. Earlier they discussed putting them in the basement since it would be safer. Cecily looked for the door that led to it, and grabbed Jem's arm, pulling him down the stairs with her.

The lighting was very dim, and there were a few candles illuminating the room just by a little. Cecily looked for Will and Tessa, and when her eyes fixed on them, she couldn't help but shout, "_WHAT THE HELL?_"

Tessa's—_her best friend—_legs were hooked around Will's—_her brother—_waist, her hands were tangled in his hair and they were kissing very, very passionately and Tessa was pushed up against the wall. Cecily saw Will's jacket on the ground, and her mouth formed an 'o' shape.

Upon noticing their presence, their heads snapped towards Cecily and Jem, and they both looked absolutely mortified. Will helped her down awkwardly, which made them even more flustered and embarrassed, and they stood apart at a respectable distance with their eyes glued to the ground, and their faces were a dark pink and their lips were swollen.

_Finally_, she thought with a smirk, stifling a laugh. She'd forgotten all about what Jessamine said at Club Pandemonium in that moment, and found herself too distracted with a new situation.

Will and Tessa's feelings for each other were obvious, yet none of them would admit it. And it was sort of infuriating, and seeing her brother kiss her best friend (or anyone, really) was a little bit strange, to be honest, but at the same time, she felt enormously proud for the both of them.

"Well it's about _time_. I leave you two alone in a basement—what else was I expecting?" As she walked down the stairs with Jem right behind her, she noticed their faces grew an even darker shade of pink—almost red. "How adorable, Jem. They're blushing," she said as she patted his shoulder. She saw a quick flash of his grin and then he covered it with his mouth, and she heard him snicker.

Will was vexed, anyone can see. But it was funny seeing her brother like this. She would never stop teasing him now. He made a noise of irritation. "Why aren't you at the—"

Then Cecily remembered that Nate would eventually come and take Tessa away from them all, shipping her away to New York. The smirk on her face was wiped off, and was replaced by a serious look. "We left because we need to get you out of here. Her brother knows she's here, and we need to leave immediately."

"What?" Tessa asked in utter confusion.

They didn't have time for explaining yet. Jem said, "We need to leave. _Now_."

Tessa's face was no longer red, but pure white. She slowly nodded and then grabbed Will's hand, and they ran up the stairs together. They grabbed a few items like their phones and then they ran out of the warehouse.

By the time they'd gotten to the van, Will had gotten in first, Tessa was in the middle, and Cecily came last. Jem sat in the front and Jessamine was driving. Once Will and Tessa had noticed her, Will demanded, "What is _she _doing here?"

"She's going to help us," Cecily said shortly. "Drive, Jessie."

Jessamine nodded, the van started moving, Will asked, "Why would she help us?"

Jem gave Jessamine a sympathetic look, and Jessamine gave him a small smile. Her eyes were swollen, but she was no longer crying. Hurriedly, she explained and Tessa paled. Her eyes rolled back, and then she fainted. _Actually fainted._

"Tessa!" Will, Jem, and Cecily cried out at the same time. The vehicle took a sharp turn, and Will glared at Jessamine, who widened her brown eyes which they saw through the rearview mirror.

"Is she okay?" she asked in disbelief.

Will scowled. "Of course she's not! She bloody passed out! How do we know you didn't do this?"

Cecily shouted at him, "Jessamine didn't even touch her!" He carefully grabbed Tessa's limp body and held her against him, her head falling on his shoulder.

They bickered back and forth until Jem just said in a very stern voice, silencing the rest of them, "_Stop it_, you three. All of you are acting like children. Tessa's fainted, we're trying to save her from Nathaniel, and we're going to get nowhere with you all arguing. Do you understand me?"

They all nodded meekly, and she was reminded of a younger Will and Cecily being punished by their parents. _When they were there_, she thought bitterly, _for us. _Of course, Jem was much scarier than her parents like this. They were all used to a calm, collected James Carstairs. And he seemed almost angry at them.

"Now the first question is," Jem said, "is when this situation is all over, where is Tessa going to live? Certainly not with her brother."

Cecily had an idea. "She can live with me at our other house," she suggested.

"Other house?" Jessamine asked. "You have _another_ house?"

"Doesn't everyone?" Cecily tilted her head, genuinely confused.

"In that case," Will said, "I'll live there too. I will not be left alone by our parents. And they wouldn't care at all. And we have our own money; we can live on our own."

Cecily nodded in agreement. Jem said, "All right. That's settled. Now what do we plan on doing with her brother?"

"Call the police?" Will offered. "Have him thrown on the ship instead?"

"I don't think Tessa would be very happy with the idea of her brother being arrested," Cecily told him, fluffing her curls. "In fact, she's even admitted to that."

"Well, we're not very happy with the idea of shipping her back to America," Will contradicted, "and arresting him is a better idea than having him back. Who knows? He might die on the streets, if he's still as lazy as he is."

"Police it is, then."

Jessamine then said, "I'll pull for a quick stop. I can call him and ask him to meet us on the docks, saying I have her. Tell the police that he'll be there. Tessa would be on a ship called the _Main_."

She told them the address, and Will repeated the address in murmurs, all while pulling his phone out and dialing the three digits _999_. He told them over the phone what was happening, and where Nate would be. He finished with, "Okay. Thank you very much." She looked over at him. "They said they'll be there immediately."

Cecily, Jem, and even Jessamine breathed out relieved sighs. She pulled over by a local shop and grabbed her phone, dialing Nate's phone number and calling him.

"Put it on speaker," Cecily commanded.

Jessamine did. "_Jessie, darling? Is that you?_" Cecily cringed.

She faked a dumb voice. "Yes, love. Listen, I have Tessa with me at the moment. Meet me by the docks. She has already passed out." She winked at them.

"_Splendid! I'll be there very, very soon. Good-bye, my Jessamine." _Will gagged, and even Jessamine grimaced, and then hung up. Cecily once again felt bad for her. Even though Nate proved to be a sick person, Jessamine still loved him, and he didn't love her back. Unrequited love was the worst. She was lucky she had Gabriel, that Tessa had Will.

And then she remembered.

_Gabriel_.

What if he was wondering where she was? He was probably worried about her, and the partygoers would also wonder where the birthday girl would be at. Surely it would go noticed, considering she was the one having the party in the first place.

But this was far more important. Jessamine started the car again, and they drove off to the docks, where Nate would soon be.

* * *

**A/N: **_THIS CHAPTER WAS SO FUN TO WRITE, FROM BEGINNING TO THE END. As an author, I probably shouldn't say this or you all probably won't even care, but this is my favorite (and it's longer :D). Well, so now you know Jessamine is actually the good guy, surprisingly, and you know how Nate knows about their warehouse. Ugh._

_Anyway, this story is just one review away from 300! You guys love to torture me, don't you. And it's one of the most followed stories too! I am so grateful, thank you all so much :)_

_Okay, I've been wanting to write this part in an A/N for forever now and I keep forgetting. Basically, Wessa at first was Cecily's nOTP. Then it turned to a ship. And now it's the OTP that's ruining her life :D_

**Disclaimer: **_I most certainly do not own The Infernal Devices!_


	38. Chapter 38

**Previously…**

_But this was far more important. Jessamine started the car again, and they drove off to the docks, where Nate would soon be._

* * *

The car pulled over to a stop, and Cecily couldn't help but feel extremely nervous. Jessamine instructed for them to stay there with Tessa. Of course, Cecily didn't want to listen, and neither did Will, but she told him to stay there because of Tessa, and then he automatically agreed. She rolled her eyes, but smiled despite everything.

Cecily got down and followed Jessamine, hiding behind a boulder and a few bushes scattered here and there. She watched as Jessamine, who was still in her white dress and ruined makeup, stood at the front of the docks, and out of the shadows, appeared Nate. Cecily's throat tightened.

She spotted the police parking and running out of their car, and Cecily ran up to them. "He's over there. The girl right next to him, she's on our side and is going to get him to admit everything, okay?"

The policeman nodded a bit uncertainly, and then pulled her back to the rocks and bushes. They listened carefully. "Nate, I have Tessa," she squeaked. She obviously wasn't very comfortable with doing this, and Cecily couldn't blame her. She loved him, and now she was about to hand him over to the police.

Tessa's brother smiled a conniving smile. "Well? Then hand her over."

Jessamine bit her lip, and then said, "I want you to tell me what you're going to do with her." Cecily heard some footsteps behind her, and turned around. The paramedics jumped out of their vehicle, and then looked over to the van. Will jumped out with Tessa in his arms and brought her over to them. While he was calling the police earlier, he'd asked for the paramedics since she had fainted. And now here they were.

She turned back to Nate, who gave her a pointed look. "Jessie, I told you." She gave him a pleading look, and Nate he spat out, "Fine. Whatever. The plan was to drug her, put her on this boat, and then _good_ _riddance_. You already knew."

Jessamine blurted out, "I didn't drug her." She shifted anxiously.

Nate furrowed his eyebrows, and then scowled. He cocked his head to the side, and growled, "_What?_"

"I said I didn't drug her. She came willingly." Jessamine had to force the words out. It wasn't the most believable thing, but she definitely got a reaction out of him.

He was absolutely puzzled. "Jessamine, what are you saying?"

Before she could reply, the policemen stood up and one grabbed their gun, pointing at him. He looked betrayed, and Jessamine couldn't even look at him. "Nathaniel Gray, you're under arrest for the attempted—" He couldn't finish because Nate cut him off.

"You set me up!" he accused loudly, resisting the police around him and he pushed them away, but they took hold of his arms and cuffed his hands, dragging him away. Jessamine looked hurt, and Cecily walked over to her, placing a comforting hand on her arm. She looked down at her, and Cecily saw her eyes glisten with new tears.

"It had to be done," Cecily said lamely, and Jessamine bent down, placing her head on her shoulder and wept. She patted her back a bit awkwardly, but Jessamine seemed to appreciate it, and then later she stopped and they met with Will, who was surprisingly quiet to Jessamine. He even offered her a hug. She nodded, and she buried her head in his shoulder with her arms around him, sniffling. And then he let go, running to the paramedics.

* * *

"Sir, I'm going to need you to tell me what the case is, and who you are."

"My name's William Herondale, I'm…a friend of hers," he started off. "Her name is Theresa Gray, and she fainted—from shock, we think—in the car upon hearing a cruel plan by her own brother."

The other person was silent for a second, but then he asked, "Did you check to see if she awake?"

"I did."

"How's her breathing?" someone asked.

"Normal," he answered.

"Alright. Lydia, hand me a blanket," one person instructed. "Oh, and raise her legs."

"Why do you need to raise her legs?"

"We need to keep her warm," a feminine voice told him matter-of-factly, and Tessa felt herself being wrapped by a soft fabric, heating her skin, and her legs rising up in the air. She was beyond confused as to why this needed to happen. She shifted around, and noticed she wasn't on her bed at home. She wasn't in the warehouse, either. Where was she?

Tessa woke up, blinking rapidly and stared up as blurry men and women surrounded her, checking her pulse with a woman holding her legs up. She was right, and supposed it was because of the blood circulation and everything. She wasn't quite sure what was going on, yet didn't question it like she normally would've. She tried remembering the last thing that happened. Suddenly, she gasped out a name—her brother's. "_Nate!_" she cried out, looking around frantically.

The people came in focus, and she struggled to get up. "Miss, it would be best if you don't do anything, you might strain yourself," a lady told her patiently.

"W-what?" she stuttered, and saw Will's body coming down next to her. "Will," she hissed, "what's happening?"

He didn't answer, but instead turned to the people before her. Her heart sank. The lady whispered something in his ear and he frowned.

"Pardon?" Tessa asked, a bit baffled now. "I don't understand. I passed out?"

"Miss, if you could please not—"

"Yes, I know," Tessa snapped, a bit frustrated now. "I might strain myself. Never mind, then." She looked over to right, and saw a truck with the word_ AMBULANCE _written in green letters_._ Terrific, Tessa thought with a grimace.

"How do you feel?" one guy asked her, placing a hand on her arm.

"Okay, I guess," she mumbled. She didn't want to be interrogated. She wanted to know what was going on.

One of them pulled out some fruit for her to eat, and another gave her some water. After a few more checks, they said she was fine but they still might need to take her to the hospital. Fantastic.

"Can I get up?" she asked the guy. He had startling green eyes and brown hair that fell into his eyes. He was probably in his mid-thirties, Tessa decided, and was all angular features.

He was about to answer, but the lady who was called Lydia shook her head. "We can't risk you fainting again."

Tessa nearly groaned. The ambulance doors were open and she felt annoyed at everyone for not telling her anything.

But all thoughts were erased as Will scooped her up into his arms with no effort, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked up at him, surprised. Will, of course, grinned at her.

"Sir, we can very much handle this on our own," Lydia told him sternly, but he didn't put her down.

Tessa was starting not to like her. "I would actually prefer him carrying me," said Tessa, letting her irritation seep into her voice. Lydia frowned, but then walked off. "Okay, Will. Tell me what's going on. No one else will and it's _really_ annoying."

He started walking, heading towards the ambulance. "You fainted."

"I gathered that, yes."

Will frowned. "I'm not going to tell you everything."

"Why not?" This wasn't fair at all. Why won't they say anything? "I mean…" she faltered as she looked behind his shoulder and saw Nate, Jessamine, and Cecily far behind them. Nate was being restrained and taken away to a police car, and Tessa's heart dropped. _This was it_, she realized with a pang. _I have no more family._

She knew what he what he was doing was wrong. But she still loved him; he was her brother. And now, he was gone. Her mother and father's dead; Aunt Harriet's dead; Nate's arrested—they were all gone and there was only Tessa.

She could feel herself crumbling, and tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to cry. He didn't deserve it. She made a sound from the back of her throat, and Will looked down at her, suddenly worried. "Tess, are you alright? Tessa?"

"Nate," she whispered, her voice barely audible. He didn't seem to hear her, and she preferred it that way. She didn't want to appear weak, especially in front of Will. He helped her up inside the ambulance and she was lifted onto a collapsible gurney, and he was next to her, holding her hand. She squeezed it, and he squeezed back.

The rest of the paramedics came inside also, and the door shut, which made Tessa sigh. She was suddenly exhausted, but refused to do anything that may have her faint once again. She didn't want to risk it.

For the rest of the ride, they handed her some more water and fruit until Tessa felt energized once again. Will was stroking patterns and swirls on her arm, just barely tickling her skin. In all honesty, all she wanted to do was just pull him by the shirt and kiss him until sundown, but couldn't. At least, not in front of these people. _Maybe some other day_, Tessa thought with a smile.

And they drove off until they reached the hospital.

* * *

**A/N: **_Ahh, this story's almost over! At least two more chapters. I didn't expect for this story to have so many chapters though. I was thinking like twenty and then now we're almost at forty. Yikes. _

_Anyway, for those who thought Jessamine would turn on them—I don't know, I've always liked Jessamine in the books and I couldn't have her do that. And if I did, the story would continue on to be like fifty chapters and basically new stuff would happen and this would never end and it would keep dragging on and on and on…_

_IN OTHER NEWS, Beautiful Horrors has been updated and the first chapter (besides the prologue) has been uploaded. It's on The Pale Red Queen's account, and we hope you all like it :)_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story. (How many times have I written this? I've written this over at least thirty-five times and I still don't own TID. I will never own the series, no matter how much I wish I did. Goodness gracious.)_


	39. Chapter 39: The End

**A/N: This sounds depressing to me, but I started this story with Will's POV, and now I'm going to end it in his POV. Enjoy :')**

**Previously…**

_And they drove off until they reached the hospital._

* * *

While Tessa, Cecily, and Jem were in their room at the hospital, Will decided to be productive and went to go get a chocolate bar.

He was just wasting time, actually. The nurses told them that Tessa could've left hours ago, saying that she was fine. Except Cecily decided to let her stay for a while longer just to get on her nerves.

In a way, Will sort of felt bad for his younger sister. It was her birthday, and she couldn't even spend it properly, other than the party at Club Pandemonium. She had to leave everyone for this, and she was still in her dress, and Jem was still in his semi-formal outfit. He felt terrible that he couldn't even celebrate it with her, and decided that he would make it up to her soon. She deserved it.

He went over to a small cafeteria in the hospital and looked over at the selections of food. He went up to the lady working there. Her name was Agatha, and (even though this was a hospital) she was one of the best cooks he had ever met. She was quite a bit older, but still the best.

Will put on his most flirtatious smile as he went up to her. "Agatha, dear," he greeted. "How are you?"

She rolled her eyes, and smacked him in the arm. He feigned offense, but she wasn't buying it. "There are some chocolate tarts in the back. _I'll_ get them," she added as put a hand on his arm to stop him the moment he took a step. "Insolent boy," she muttered under her breath, and he grinned at her.

Will threw himself in the nearest chair, patiently waiting for the chocolate tart. He had been here before many times, and with each time, he'd head straight towards the cafeteria. It had become an instinct after a while.

Actually, what he had been trying to do was distract himself, and chocolate seemed like it would help. Tessa was fine, but how would she deal with her brother later on, now that this was all over? They discussed that she could live with Cecy and him, but what about her house? Originally they thought that they would stop him, but didn't actually know if he would be arrested or not.

They probably had some contract or something, and Tessa would still need to pay for renting the house. Or maybe she could stay there instead and they could try to help with money and all? Will always thought they had too much, as well as Cecily.

But then again, Tessa would refuse and insist that she could do earn money on her own, which was totally unacceptable.

Or they could just live in the other house of theirs, and Will and Cecily could help Tessa pack her things and then move them to that house. Will smiled, recalling one of the first times he had been with Tessa besides at school, helping her unpack her stuff. How Cecily was the one who made him do it. How he at first disliked the fact she would be moving across from him.

Besides the fact that he didn't care for her as much as he did now, he missed when it everything was simpler. Hopefully everything would calm down after the events with Nate and Jessie and all.

Speaking of Jessamine, she was also in the hospital room with everyone else. He remembered her saying something about wanting to apologize to Tessa. He just hoped she wouldn't scare the poor girl with her ruined makeup and crazed hair.

Agatha came back by that time and handed him a plate stacked high with chocolate tarts. Will gasped. "Agatha! Bless your heart," he said with a broad smile as he pulled her in for a hug. When he pulled back, and he whispered, "I may just have to marry you." She gave him a look and huffed, walking away. Will smirked, and carried the plate of tarts back to Tessa's room.

Some nurses looked at him funny, others just stared at him in pure awe and fascination, as if they couldn't believe he was real. He rolled his eyes, and opened the door with one hand to the room.

"…I don't even _need_ to be here," Tessa protested, looking exasperated. "I'm perfectly fine."

All eyes fell on Will as he entered, and he bit into one of the chocolate tarts, moaning at the way the warm chocolate seem to melt in his mouth, and he savored each moment. "Hello, everyone," he said cheerfully. He nodded his head in Tessa's direction, attempting to seem casual. "Tessa. Good to see you're well." He didn't want to act like he remembered their kiss, since it was pretty embarrassing that his sister and best friend had to see that. An audience is not what he expected, nor wanted.

She flushed, and Will averted his gaze to look over at Jem. "Hello, James," he greeted. He smiled at him, and Jem smiled back. Ah, the good days when he and Jem were always together, inseparable. They still were, but things were just a bit more complicated, getting in the way of the two of them. "Hasn't anyone told her yet that she was free to go?"

Cecily widened her eyes and looked over at Will, giving him a warning look. Tessa's jaw dropped. "What! I was allowed to leave this whole time?"

Will nodded, leaning against the wall lazily. "Basically, yeah. Chocolate tart?" he offered, gesturing to the platter. Tessa shook her head, and stood up from the bed. "Alright, alright. How about you, James?"

Jem looked over at Cecily who was giving Will a death glare. Jem looked back at him and grinned. "I'd love one, William, thank you."

Will smiled at his sister. "And you, Cecy?" He got a glare in return, and Will snorted.

Cecily huffed. "I can't believe you betrayed me like that."

"You betrayed me!" Tessa pointed out, crossing her arms.

Tessa and Cecily began bickering on the subject, and Will turned to Jessamine, who had been quiet throughout his little visit. She looked distraught, as expected, but was no longer crying. Will sighed. "Jessamine," he said in a low voice. She turned to him, brown eyes wide and fearful, as if what he might say next would cut through her like a blade, and he felt a twinge of guilt. "We really do appreciate what you did. You were brave, and I'd like to thank you for that."

Jessamine smiled a little bit. "Thanks, Will." She sniffed, and then said, "Can we just be friends? I don't want to fight with you, Cecily, or anyone anymore."

"Of course," Will said, and he gently patted her shoulder.

Jem's voice interrupted their little conversation, saying, "Alright, girls, you can discuss Cecily's hypocrisy in the car, but can we please just leave this place?" Will himself was growing tired of this place, and he stood up with the platter of tarts.

"I agree," he said, taking long steps towards the door. "We shall leave then."

. . .

They drove back to the warehouse because Tessa, Will, and Jem's car was still there. They all parted their separate ways: Will and Cecily went home, Jem went to his, but he wasn't quite sure where Tessa went. She would've followed them back, but she didn't, and that was rather peculiar. He decided to look later, but for now, he just wanted to return Cecily and him back to his normal life and none of this madness.

When he opened the door to his house, the lights were off and it was empty. No one was probably in the house, Will assumed, and he and his sister exchanged a look, sighing.

There was a small buzzing sound, and Cecily pulled out her phone. The small screen brought light to the dark house, and Will read it from where he stood. It was from that Gabriel Lightworm. Ugh. He texted something about being worried about her, how he couldn't find her, the selfish bastard.

Cecily gasped and looked up at her brother with wide eyes. "Gabriel!" she exclaimed and vigorously began texting him back.

He read: _Gabriel I'm so osryry I left hte party so early! _

"God, Cecily, calm down," Will said, and she corrected all her mistakes.

She explained, "I just left Club Pandemonium without telling him anything and he's probably worried sick about me!"

She continued typing how she was alright, blah, blah, blah. He didn't want to pay attention to any part of Gabriel and Cecily's relationship. He didn't approve of it, and made sure everyone knew. But then again, everyone also ignored him.

But what happened next shocked the both of them—the lights flickered on, and Edmund and Linette Herondale appeared from the shadows with a large chocolate cake and sixteen candles on it, placed on a silver tray with the words _Happy Birthday, Cecily!_ in white cursive. "Surprise!" they both exclaimed, wide smiles on their faces.

Cecily's jaw dropped (and her phone), as did Will's. Neither of them expected this; they were so sure that their parents had forgotten her birthday. He looked down at his sister, and saw that her eyes were welling up with tears. Edmund put the cake on the kitchen table and started lighting the candles. Cecily ran up to her mother and embraced her, burying her face in her neck. Linette responded immediately, wrapping her arms around her daughter and pulling her in close.

"Thank you," Cecily whispered, wiping her eyes after pulling away. "Thank you so much. I love you all."

"It's not much," Edmund said, lighting the final candle. "But we do hope you like it."

"Like it?" Cecily then went to her father and hugged him as well. He was stiff at first, as if he's never done such a thing before, but gradually welcomed the hug, lightly trailing his hand up and down her back. "I love it. It's more than I could've asked for, and I love you, Dad."

Will felt himself smile. Finally they showed their children some proper care, and he was overjoyed for Cecily, but he couldn't help but wish—

"William," Linette smiled, "don't be so shy. Cecy's about to blow out her candles. Join us." He noticed something had changed in her eyes. She didn't look so strict or devoid of emotion. Her eyes were full of love, and judging by the way she was looking at him, his mother actually looked proud of her children. Will felt his heart swell.

Then Will remembered the time when Tessa told him to respect his family. After all of this, he realized how much he loved them. How much he needed them in his life. Will started thinking that he should've been more grateful. Then he realized that he was just as bad as his parents. While they ignored their kids, him and Cecily ignored back and shouted at them. He was instantly regretful, and told himself that he was going to apologize soon.

Will stood up and joined everyone at the kitchen. They were singing happy birthday to Cecily. She blew out the candles, they were cutting and eating the cake, they watched some movies together, and spent the rest of the night talking and laughing. And for once, they were being a family.

. . .

It was midnight and everyone was asleep. By the time the mini-birthday party was over, Will went up to his room and looked outside his window. Tessa's car still wasn't outside in her driveway, and he was becoming a little concerned.

Then he began thinking.

Of all places she could have gone to, where would Tessa have gone?

It took him a while to think of the possibilities; she didn't go back to the warehouse, and she didn't go home. There was a chance she could've gone to Jem's house or something, but when she drove off, she didn't go in the direction he went.

Maybe she was doing some late night shopping? It was possible. But if he was in her shoes, he would surround himself with the people he loved most, or things—

Then it clicked, and when it did, he couldn't believe how obvious it was. It was right in his face, and he completely missed it.

Will threw on a jacket and quickly ran down the stairs, picked up his keys, and went to the one place he knew Tessa would be at.

. . .

He was at his library, the one that he had shown Tessa a while back, when they were fighting. Books had been her great escape, as well as his, so it made sense. Not too long ago, he'd told her that it wasn't just his library, but theirs. It slipped out by accident, but he began to realize that it was absolutely true, and that he would have it no other way. If he could share it with anyone, Tessa would be the first option, and he was more than glad to share it with her.

Will pushed the doors open.

It was almost completely dark. There was only one candle lit, and it was by the leather chairs he and Tessa sat at with each visit. He barely saw her figure sitting there, with her head buried in her arms. His lips formed her name, but no sound came out. Because he realized she was crying.

His heart dropped. He'd always known Tessa to be strong—tough as nails, even. And he couldn't recall the last time she had cried. She never let herself, and it was totally unhealthy. He even told her that many times before. But now that he actually got to see it, it was the saddest sight Will had ever seen, and he felt an overwhelming urge to comfort her.

The doors closed and Tessa's head popped up, her face tearstained. "Will?" she asked, sniffling. "Will, is that you?"

He had frozen, and there was a long pause before he finally said quietly, "Yes."

She wiped her eyes and he saw that she was trying not to cry in front of him. Will had enough of this. He strode across the room and sat down next to her. "Don't," he said, looking down at her. "Don't even try. Just let it out, Tess."

And so she did.

Tessa fisted her hands in the back of his shirt, and sobbed into his chest. He held her firmly against him. He wouldn't let her go. It went like this for about ten minutes, before her tears stopped flowing, and she loosened her grip on him. She fixed her hair, pushing it all to the front, and Will rolled his eyes. Tessa looked beautiful, even in this state. She always did.

"Sorry," she said after taking a deep breath. Will chuckled, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Will, can I ask you something?" He nodded. "Tell me what happened. With Nate."

Will wasn't sure if he could. Not after seeing her cry. But he knew she was tough. Her brother wasn't worth her tears. But he explained everything from when Jessamine told them he hired someone to stalk her, and that he would be going to the warehouse. How Jessamine told him that she was with her so that they could get the police, and arrest him. He told her everything, and Tessa didn't even shed a tear.

She was quiet, silently absorbing the information. She needed some time to think things through, and hopefully they would just gradually return to a normal life. Soon they would all return to school, and things would go back to the way they were.

"Will," she said, snapping him back to reality.

"Yes?"

"What are we now?" she asked him, her head slightly tilted. Then she looked down, as if embarrassed, a faint blush coloring her cheeks, "I mean, after the basement."

He hadn't really thought about it, honestly. He confessed his feelings for her. He kissed her. She kissed back. So they obviously couldn't just be friends anymore, but what if it ruined everything between them? But maybe if they take it slow…

"How about," Will said, smiling at the curious look on her face, "I take you out a few times before we decide."

Tessa smiled too. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well," he said, an odd tone to his voice, "I could take you out for dinner next week. On Saturday. Something really romantic, with roses and doves and a table overlooking the ocean…" He paused as he saw her giggle, and he decided that that was his favorite sound. "Or I can take you to a really posh restaurant."

Her smile broadened. "That could work, too."

Will grinned at her. "Good. So it's settled."

"Definitely." Tessa sighed, stroking the cover of a book on her lap that Will didn't see before. Then she did something that he wouldn't have expected in a million years. Tessa reached for the collar of his shirt and pulled him in, pressing her lips against his. Will made a surprised sound from the back of his throat, but moments later closed his eyes and melted into the kiss.

Unlike their other kisses that were filled with fervor and passion, they were both taking their time, and were being gentle with each other. Will didn't want to overwhelm her with anything, after what she'd been through, even if all he wanted to do was hold her tightly against him so she'd never slip through his arms and disappear.

Will's hands went up, cradling her face, and faintly stroking her cheekbones. Her hands were still tightly gripping his collar, never losing hold. Her lips moved softly against his, and he slanted his face to deepen the kiss, causing her to gasp.

It all seemed to have gone on for ages, until they finally had to pull away for air. Tessa's swollen lips were parted, and her cheeks were a light pink. Her eyes landed on his collar and she loosened her grip, pulling her hands back and smiling an embarrassed smile. He only thought she looked even more adorable.

"I love you," he sighed out. The three words had unintentionally slipped out of his mouth, and the world came crashing down on him as he saw her go rigid, and her eyes widened. The silence was absolutely deafening. Too early, he told himself. Far, far too early. They weren't even official yet and he was blurting out things like this. _Stupid! _he scolded himself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

He was about to take his words back and apologize, even though it was all true, but Tessa grinned, shushing him. Will stared curiously at her.

"It's okay," she said, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. Her voice shook, as if testing it out, and she said, "I…I love you too."

"Tessa, you don't have to say it because—"

"No," she interrupted. "It's true. I mean it."

Will blinked at her. Never in a million years would he have thought she would say it back, and that she meant it. "Oh." He hadn't really prepared for this moment. After all, those words just slipped out of his mouth. But he was sincere, and he was overjoyed to know that she was too. For once, William Herondale was speechless.

And so when she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, preparing to sleep, everything felt right with the world, and he blew out the only candle's flickering light.

William Herondale didn't know what to expect when he first laid eyes on Tessa Gray. He still didn't know what to expect. She was constantly surprising him in the best way possible.

But none of that mattered; what _did_ matter was that Tessa loved him, and Will loved her.

And that was all.

**THE END.**

* * *

**A/N: **_I'M NOT CRYING, I JUST HAVE WILL HERONDALE IN MY EYES. Okay, first— Who noticed the "William Herondale didn't know what to expect when he first laid eyes on Tessa Gray" line? Because that _is_ the first line in the story, and now it's one of the last._

_ There's a gigantic chance I will do an epilogue just to let you all know how everything turned out in the end. This story _is _written in past-tense after all. But yeah, this was the last chapter, basically. _

_I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I will forever be glad that there was such a positive response to the story. I really, genuinely appreciate it. Thank you all so much. I love you all :)_

_So…it'll be weird not working on this anymore, but I'll be working on It's Simply Madness, An Event Gone Awry, and Beautiful Horrors, so if you wanna read more of my stuff, it's all there for you to read._

_And, yeah. Favorite, review (and follow for an epilogue)! You know, all that jazz._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices, or anything else mentioned in this story. You'd think that after thirty-nine chapters, we would have established that I am really not Cassandra Clare._


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